


It's Not Just a Stomach Ache

by DreamingisBelieving



Series: It's Not Just A Stomach Ache Verse [1]
Category: Glee
Genre: AU, AnderBros, Angst, Cancer, Cancer!Blaine, Cancer!Klaine, F/F, F/M, Finchel - Freeform, Glee - Freeform, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, If you squint Fluff, Klaine, M/M, Small fluff, brotherly furt - Freeform, sick!blaine, slight AU, warblers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2018-02-21
Packaged: 2018-12-03 16:35:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 333,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11536158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamingisBelieving/pseuds/DreamingisBelieving
Summary: No, Blaine didn't have cancer. This stuff doesn't happen to seventeen year old boys and definitely not Kurt Hummel's boyfriend, who was full of life and joy and would go out of his way to do anything for anybody, whether that be an old lady crossing the street or a misguided teen like himself. Cancer was suppose to be reserved for old men and women who were going to develop health problems anyway, not Blaine Anderson, someone who wasn't even legally an adult yet.





	1. Chapter One: Telling Him

**Author's Note:**

> Please tell me what you guys think about this. I am working so hard on this story. I've been doing crazy research and I have spent hours just on the editing process. I really hope you guys like this and I have some more chapter already written and working on some more, so if you want more, please tell me. Please enjoy this and thank you for reading!
> 
> WARNINGS: Cancer, talk of cancer and talk of character death.

Blaine was at his locker, rifling through the mess of it, probably searching for his first period books, and Kurt was torn between running up to him and hugging him in relief or slapping him up side the head for not answering him all day yesterday.

  
He didn't show up for school yesterday and like anyone would, Kurt texted him, but he didn't answer so he called and then called again and texted again and again until he fell asleep that night with his phone in hand, both worried and angry.

  
Kurt fought both of his urges and instead put on his best bitch face that he had been practicing on the way to school today, and adjusted the strap of his bag, hurrying over to Blaine. Of course he was too oblivious to notice his presence at first, too preoccupied with trying to find his calculus books, so Kurt raised one eyebrow higher than the other and sucked in his cheek, crossing his arms over his chest and huffed out a loud breath to get noticed, which of course didn't work at all.

  
"You ignored me all day yesterday. Where were you?" Kurt asks, cocking his head to the side. Blaine automatically looks over to him, but quickly diverts his attention back to his locker's contents almost as if Kurt hadn't said anything at all.

  
"I wasn't ignoring you," Blaine's voice is soft and fragile, as if the slightest sound would make him fall apart like a piece of glass. Kurt tries to ignore it and fights the urge to quickly cuddle him until he told him what was wrong and who hurt him, but instead goes on with the reason he was upset.

  
"My ten texts to you and 15 ignored calls and 8 voice mails say differently," Kurt huffs, clenching his jaw as a way to remind himself why he was angry. Blaine sighs heavily, carefully shutting his locker door, his hand hovering over the cool metal.

  
"Do you remember those stomach pains I've been having?" He's talking to Kurt, but isn't looking over to him, scared to meet his gaze, instead staring at his locker, quickly putting the lock back on it.

  
This is not what he expected. He expected Blaine to immediately apologize and come up with a very good excuse for why he wasn't picking up his damn phone yesterday. Like he had dropped it down a drainage pipe or he was mugged on the way to school yesterday and spent the day filing a police report, but he wasn't expecting that Blaine would ask about the stomach pains he's been having off and on these past few weeks.

  
"What?" Kurt uncrosses his arms, letting one hang at his side and the other grip the strap of his bag tightly his anger quickly being replaced with confusion.

  
"Well," He swallows thickly, "yesterday-I think it was like five in the morning, I was having a horrible one. I threw up and wasn't feeling well. My mom saw me lying in bed and decided to take me to the hospital," Blaine starts, finally turning to face his boyfriend. Kurt's facial expression softens quickly and he shifts his weight from one foot to the other nervously, almost automatically feeling horrible for sassing him as soon as he walked in the door. Blaine clears his throat before continuing.

  
"At first they thought it was my appendix, but I had that taken out when I was twelve. So, they checked me out, ran a few tests, and my mom and I were waiting for what felt like days. We both thought I was just sick and had a bug or something so they would give me some meds and I would stay home and watch movies and maybe call you after school got out and you could come over and stay with me, but I think we both knew this was something more serious than a stomach bug,"

  
"Blaine, what happened?" Kurt asks, noticing his boyfriend's tears start in his eyes and his lip tremble, but Blaine ignored him and continued like he didn't say anything.

  
"The doctor came in later and said they found something 'abnormal' in my blood tests, so they took me in for an endoscopy," He starts again, sucking in a heavy breath so he could continue. "At that point, we knew something was wrong. They don't do surgeries for a small stomach bug. The doctor came in like three or four hours later, it felt so much longer though, and he said 'I don't want to be the one to deliver bad news, but Blaine, you have stage three A gastric cancer,'" Blaine stops, still not looking up into Kurt's eyes, knowing he wouldn't be able to continue if he did. Blaine sucks in a steadying breath, looking past Kurt and to the tile floor behind him.

  
Kurt swears the world stopped spinning the moment the words came out of his mouth. Everything else besides Blaine's face was blurred and he was frozen in time. He couldn't feel anything. He should feel horrible and start crying and scream that it wasn't fair, but he couldn't even come up with any words to say, let alone go on a rampage about how life sucked.

  
No, Blaine didn't have cancer. This stuff doesn't happen to seventeen year old boys and definitely not Kurt Hummel's boyfriend, who was full of life and joy and would go out of his way to do anything for anybody, whether that be an old lady crossing the street or a misguided teen like himself. Cancer was suppose to be reserved for old men and women who were going to develop health problems anyway, not Blaine Anderson, someone who wasn't even legally an adult yet.

  
"Kurt? Will you please-Will you please say something?" Blaine asks, a couple tears slipping from his hazel eyes which he was quick to wipe away with the back of his hand.

  
"Why are you here?" Kurt blurts. Normally, someone would take offense to that and just walk away or start yelling about how rude that was, but Blaine knew what Kurt meant and instead shook his head.

  
"Doctor says that once chemo starts, I'm gonna be really weak and I wanted to come to school one last time. Go to Glee club one last time. Have a horrible school lunch one last time. You know, before it's hospitals and tears and my face in toilet seats, puking my guts out. I know I hated this place, but I still wanna be here," Blaine sniffs, shrugging his shoulders.

  
"Shut up," Kurt says quickly, trying to keep his tears at bay and shaking his head quickly with his upper lip turned up. "Look at me," Kurt orders, closing the space between the two of them. Blaine shakes his head, practically choking on a sob. "Blaine, look at me," He repeats, more authoritative this time, dragging Blaine's chin up with his finger tips forcefully. Blue meets hazel instantly. "Don't talk like that, ever,"

  
"Kurt-"

  
"No, shut up and listen to me," Kurt says, his brow furrowed. "You are going to make it out of this," Blaine scoffs, shaking his head. "I mean it, because you're Blaine freaking Anderson and you have the most supportive boyfriend to exist who loves you more than he loves Vogue and Alexander McQueen's new Autumn line and we both know that's a lot of love. You're going to come back to this school cancer free. Whether that be a year from now or maybe two, but you're going to come back to this school and you're going to walk through those doors and take a seat in first period and quickly wish you weren't here. Then we're going to win Nationals and you're going to be right here beside me, where you belong, celebrating with the rest of us because our duet blew the judges away. Right now, you're going to get the chemo and whatever else the doctor thinks you should do and you're never going to give up so those things can happen. You're going to keep going. You're going to start losing your hair and I'm gonna be the one to shave it off because I'll be sick of it coming out every damn time I brush my fingers through it because I'm taking full advantage of you not having gel in it." He pauses to smile and Blaine can't help himself and does the same, despite the tears still running down his cheeks.

  
"Kurt, it's stage three, I have an eighteen percent chance, that not even one fifth," Blaine says, his smile instantly fading at the reminder.

  
"I don't care. When have we ever fit in the lines? We're a couple of gay, musical theater geeks in glee club in the middle of Ohio where it's more likely that a UFO comes crashing down than LGBT rights being not only legal, but supported," Kurt chuckles, running his thumb across Blaine's jawline. Blaine sniffles, smiling softly. Kurt returns it and starts again.

  
"Now, you're going to get sick. I mean so sick, but one day you're going to be able to burn the scarves that you wore on your head to keep you warm because of your shaven head. Of course you hated them anyway, but you wore them because I bought them for you and you're going to be so happy that they're gone and I'm going to pretend that I didn't see your smirk when the last one was thrown in. You're going to burn the sweats and the wool socks you wore when you were recovering from chemo and surgery because they were bulky and ugly and if you didn't burn them then I would have and you know what? I'm going to be right beside you when you do. You're going to start working out again and get your appetite back and you'll gain your olive skin color again instead of being as pale and pasty as me because you haven't been eating right. One day you're gonna look back on the exact date that the doctor told you you were cancer free and in remission and me and you are going celebrate with drinks and drunk sex," Kurt sniffles and nods his head encouragingly, a small smile on his face. Blaine chuckles lightly.

  
"You and I will go to all the follow up appointments, and years later we'll go to all the 'Relay For Life' parties and we'll wear your cancer ribbon with pride and we may even stick one on our back windshield because why not? Then one day our curly haired, blue eyed child is going to come home and tell us they learned about cancer in school that day and we'll give them a knowing smirk and ask them to tell us about it because they're too young to know about the time their daddy had cancer back in high school. But, one day, we'll tell them and then they'll be so shocked and so proud of you that they'll tell everyone at school the next day that their daddy not only had cancer in high school, but survived it, and they'll be proud, but not as proud as I'll be," Kurt finishes.

  
"I love you so much," Blaine lets out a broken sob, crashing his lips against Kurt's before falling into his arms, crying.

  
"I love you too," Kurt says, wiping his sleeve across his cheek that had a tear rushing down it. He wraps his arms around Blaine's shoulders, using one hand to pet the back of Blaine's head, careful not to mess up the gel that Blaine was so obsessed with. He places a soft kiss on the top of his head, allowing Blaine for the first time ever to wrinkle his designer clothing and grip at it as if his life depended on it.

  
Normally, Kurt would tell Blaine to wait to give him a hug or a kiss until they were alone or in the choir room, but today was no normal day. His boyfriend had cancer and he was all that mattered in that moment. He knew that the guys from Glee club were staring at them with a protective eye and people were stopping and staring, or giving them a second look. He knew that the hockey and football jocks were staring at them and probably trying to think of a plan on how to get them alone so they could rip their limps off one by one for being who they were, but none of it mattered because Blaine was hurting and would be hurting for a long time.

  
"Shh, you're okay, you're gonna be just fine," Kurt promises, nuzzling his cheek against Blaine's hair. At this point Blaine was sobbing, but his sobs were being muffled by Kurt's sweater.

  
"What happened? Did you guys miss an online sale at Victoria's Secret?" Dave says on his way towards them, his buddies following closely behind him, who were laughing like he was Kevin Hart and not some football jock who had too big of a body for his head. Blaine started to pull away from Kurt, but Kurt held him close to his chest, not allowing him to. He couldn't protect him from the cancer but he could protect him from a few high school bullies.

  
"Piss off," Kurt says just above a whisper. There was no snark or sass in his voice. It was as if he was just telling someone what was for lunch. Dave's smile fades instantly.  
"What'd you say to me?" Dave scrunches his brow with anger.

  
"Piss off," Kurt repeats, still petting Blaine's head softly, who was gripping tighter at Kurt's sweater out of fear. Dave steps towards the pair, ready to try and bust some heads, but Finn was already stepping between them.

  
"Come on, man. Just leave them be. Just this once," Finn begs, putting his hand on his chest. Dave looks between the couple and Finn quickly before smacking Finn's hand off himself and scoffing as he spun around, returning on his way down the hall, his eyes rolling so hard, they may have roll to the back of his head.

  
"Thank you," Kurt says quietly.

  
"Yeah. Talk to me later?" Finn asks, putting a comforting hand on Kurt's shoulder. Kurt nods in response, sniffling back his tears.

  
Blaine starts to pull back again and this time Kurt allows him to because the idiots were gone and for all Kurt was concerned, they were alone.

  
"Anyway, I start chemo tomorrow," Blaine starts, wiping at his eyes as if they weren't just harassed by a bunch of neanderthals. It was practically routine by now. "Will you come with me?"

  
"There's no other place I wanna be," Kurt gives him a small smile, taking his light olive hand in his own.

  
Of course there were many other places he'd rather be tomorrow, but they were all with Blaine and if Blaine was going to be in the hospital then so was Kurt and he wouldn't have it any other way.

  
Blaine nods, "Good, because honestly, I'm scared," He admits his voice going quiet.

  
"I know you are, but it'll be okay. They just stick a needle in your arm for a few hours and then you get to read or watch TV or sleep or anything you want. Plus the chairs are nice. They're big and comfy," Kurt gives him an encouraging smile, wiping at Blaine's cheeks with his thumb to rid it of its moisture.

  
"How do you know so much about this?"

  
"My mom. When she had cancer. I don't remember a lot, but I remember enough to help you through this because we're doing this together, okay? I don't want you going to an appointment or do anything cancer related with out me, okay?"

  
"Kurt-"

  
"No, don't. That means if it's four A.M on a school night and you're puking or freezing or can't sleep, I want you to call me and I will drop everything to get to you. I mean it, Blaine. Promise me you will,"

  
"Okay, I will," Blaine nods, sniffing back his tears and trying to put on a smile again.

  
"Good, and I will hold you to that. I'm not afraid to kick your ass cancer or no cancer,"

  
Blaine chuckles lightly, hanging his head down. Kurt can't help but smile even the slightest.

  
"Now, come on. We're going to get through this day and then we're going to go to Glee club and then I'm going to take you out on the best date you'll ever have," Kurt says, linking his arm with Blaine's and starting down the hall.

 

"I love you so much, Kurt. So much,"

  
"I know," Kurt smiles, squeezing Blaine's hand.

  
Kurt wasn't going to break down. Not here and certainly not now.

  
'Keep it in. Keep it in' Kurt repeats the words in his head. 'Keep it in until you get home tonight. You are not going to cry right now. You don't have cancer. Blaine does and he needs you to be okay so he's not so scared'

  
To Blaine it was almost as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders even though the cancer was still wrapped around Blaine's stomach, trying to feed off his body to survive, but it was going to be okay, Kurt has convinced him of that much for now and he was going to get through this day as if he wasn't just told he had cancer yesterday. This was his last day "cancer free".

  
Then tomorrow, the chemo started and so did the medication and so did everything else. He felt like it was the start of the end.

 

  
-0-

 

  
"You're dying?!" Rachel screeches, stomping into the choir room, her arms moving quickly at her sides and her eyes fixed on one curly haired, former Warbler. Blaine snaps his head over to her direction, a mixture of worry and fear in her eyes.

  
Blaine was speechless. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out, nothing would come out. What was he suppose to say to that? She was so blunt, but she wasn't wrong.

  
A million questions started to run through his head. How did she know? Did Kurt tell her? No, Kurt's been with him for almost the entirety of the day. They were talking in the middle of the hallway, maybe she overheard it, but why didn't she say something sooner or pull him aside? Why must she be so over dramatic that even Blaine's cancer turned into her drama and her turn to take the spotlight, not that Blaine wanted it in the first place.

  
"He's not dying," Kurt huffs, rolling his eyes at the short brunette, carefully looking around the room and noticing everyone was staring at them, even Mr. Schuester. He blinks a few times nervously and settles back in his chair beside Blaine's.

  
"Kurt, he has cancer! What do you expect?" Rachel replies, crossing her arms over her chest, and pulling her head back. A few gasps were heard around the room, but a few just shook their heads, not believing Rachel, she was over dramatic, and they wouldn't put making up a story past her. Kurt clenches his jaw, his eyes instantly hardening at the girl. "I swear you live in a world of ignorance," She rolls her eyes at him and Kurt just hoped it was the anger talking and not just her saying this because she could.

  
"Shut up!" Kurt blurts, bringing a shaking hand to his forehead to recollect himself before he just started going off on his best friend.

  
Blaine was still sitting silently beside him, his breathing a bit rapid and his mouth still slightly a jar. She just walked in and told a room full of people something he planned on telling later on, not now and probably not for a few more days, so he could get settled with the idea. This should not have happened; it wasn't her secret to tell nor was it her business.

  
"God, Rachel. What the hell is the matter with you?" Kurt says quietly, his eyes closed and his head shaking.

  
"You weren't going to tell us? You were just going to let us wonder when he came in with a bald head and was as pale as a ghost? Were you just gonna let us figure it? Connect the dots?" Rachel asks, her brow now furrowed with anger. Kurt shoots up from his chair quickly, it being pushed back a few paces with the force.

  
"It wasn't your place to say anything, Rachel, and sure as hell not to a room full of people. You just wanted to get attention and to be the first one to say it, so you wanted to come in and shout it because even if it wasn't about you, everyone's eyes had to be on you," Kurt argues back. As if everything was back to speed, Mr. Schuester came between the two of them, before it got too heated, resting a hand on Rachel's shoulder gently, who was stunned at Kurt's words, her facial expression softening quickly.

  
"Blaine? Is this true?" Schuester asks, his brow furrowed, but not with anger like Kurt's, but with concern and curiosity like the other glee members watching the scene unfold before them, just as shocked as Blaine was.

  
The said boy snaps his head back up towards his choir teacher. His mouth opens, trying to find the right words, but nothing came out except a noise that he'd never even made before. Kurt turns his head back from Rachel and is quickly beside Blaine once again, sitting back beside him. Unable to form words, he just nods slowly.

  
Dying. Rachel had said it. He was dying. He was going to die. At seventeen he was going to die. He might be eighteen by then, but an extra year wasn't nearly enough time.

  
"I'm dying," Blaine whispers, trying to choke back his tears.

  
"No, you're not. You're not dying. You're gonna be just fine," Kurt says quickly, his brows scrunched with determination. He puts a reassuring hand on his knee, massaging the skin there. Blaine nods again, taking in a deep breath and leaning back in his chair, running his hands over his head and keeping them on his temple, trying to process that in his head.

  
"What kind?" Mike asks, swallowing the lump in his throat and running a nervous hand over the knee of his red, stand out jeans.

  
"Stomach. Stage three," Blaine replies softly, still not looking at anyone, his gaze fixed on the scratched and dirty floor from the countless dance numbers they've done this week.

  
"You're like eighteen though," Puck says, his voice low and shocked.

  
"Seventeen," Blaine sniffles, trying to fend the tears off. He hated crying in front of people. Few people have seen him cry. Kurt, his parents, and Cooper and maybe a few nurses that took care of him after the Sadie Hawkins incident. Oh yeah, and now everyone that saw him gripping onto Kurt like a lost child this morning in the hallway.

  
"That's not that bad. You're young, you can get medicine for it and then you'll be cured, right?" Finn asks from the first row, his usual dopey eyes watering.

  
"That's not how cancer works, Finn," Kurt shoots at him. He wasn't angry at him, but he was just upset in general and more than upset with his girlfriend than anyone else.

Finn's expression soon deflates.

  
"I have an eighteen percent survival rate," Blaine announces. Tina makes a sound from the back of her throat, almost like a whimper.

  
The room goes quiet, Finn returning his gaze back to his lap, nervously playing with his hands. Schue opened his mouth a few times, but couldn't find any encouraging words to help him and make him feel better. This wasn't something a few words could fix. He had cancer and he could die from it.

  
"But, you're Kurt's unicorn. He needs you. You can't just leave him," Brittany says, Santana wrapped around her arm, like she might slip from her grasp at any moment and tears in her eyes. For once no snide remarks about Blaine's situation came from her perfectly glossed lips.

  
Blaine looks over to Kurt and gives him a small smile, which Kurt returned. They both had tears in their eyes, but Kurt was determined not to cry, not here and not now. 'Keep it in until you get home' he says to himself. The curly haired boy lets one of his hands rest on his knee, palm up. Kurt got the message quickly and slipped his hand between Blaine's, squeezing gently.

  
"He's not leaving me or anyone else. He's going to beat this thing," Kurt nods, his blue eyes still locked on Blaine's hazel ones. Blaine bobs his head up and down again in agreement, just letting his eyes wander through Kurt's.

  
"Does this mean you can't compete this year at Regionals?" Quinn asks, looking up to the pair, quickly wiping the tears rushing down her cheeks.

  
Quinn was crying for Blaine? He didn't even know if she knew his real name. No, it wasn't Warbler. Why would she all the suddenly care? She's didn't care when he was getting slushie facials for a good two weeks straight, or when he had gotten a bloody nose from when Puck and him ran into each other while rehearsing. She didn't even give him a second glance, she even said "Sorry this isn't your perfect prep school" and ended it with an eye roll. She's never even given him a second glance or said hello when Blaine said good morning or gave her a smile and a wave, but now she did, knowing that he had cancer had possibly changed that and Blaine didn't know if he liked it.

  
"What do you think?" Santana snaps, rolling her eyes at her friend and shaking her head. Quinn shakes her head back at her, letting her eyes wander to the ceiling, bringing her tongue to the roof of her mouth like she always did when she was upset.

  
"I was gonna tell you guys, especially Mr. Schue, so he could fix the routine for Regionals because we caught it a bit late, so they're starting out with a harsh round of chemo tomorrow," Blaine says, finally tearing his eyes away from Kurt's. Schue nods, still shocked and not knowing what to say. He's dealt with moody teenagers, teen pregnancy, fake pregnancy, guys coming out of the closet, guys stuck in the closet and a bunch of ignorant teens, but not cancer and certainly not cancer in a teenage boy, who still had so much life to live.

  
"Why is everyone so down? Just think, one day we're going to be able that say our best friend from Glee club survived cancer," Sam says, trying to remain cheerful, but tears were staining his cheeks. Blaine can't help smile a little. "I mean we can also use the excuse to get out school and say we were visiting Blaine in the hospital and bring him some Chipotle,"

  
He can't help it. Blaine just starts laughing, tipping his head forward and laughing louder than he should. Kurt bites his lip, trying to hold in his giggles, but he can't help it and soon starts too. A few other members smile and some even let out a few giggles once more. Blaine looks back, tears from laughter now falling down his cheeks.

  
Why was he laughing? He had cancer and his best friend wanted to use it as an excuse to get out of his Spanish class that he was failing. He should be upset and offended, but he found it hilarious and his loud laugh was making it obvious.

  
Kurt shakes his head, giggling a bit more and squeezing Blaine's hand tightly.

  
"Oh my god," Blaine laughs, leaning forward in his chair. Sam just had a bright smirk on his face, knowing he did was he was suppose to do, which was keep spirits high.

  
"You're ridiculous," Blaine says, his shoulder shaking with laughter and his voice shaky, but this time not from tears and instead from laughter.

  
"Blaine?" A shaking voice, that Blaine knew instantly, made him snap his head up, his smile gone and the laugh gone as well as if someone had flipped a switch.

  
He stares at the man standing in the doorway. Tears staining his cheeks and his usually perfectly styled hair falling in wisps over his forehead, his jaw practically trembling with unfallen tears. A leather jacket over his shoulders and skinny jeans on his legs.

  
"Cooper? What are you doing here?" Blaine asks, standing from his chair and releasing Kurt's hand. Everyone's laughs are now gone when they noticed the stranger standing in the doorway.

  
"Mom, she called me this morning and I got the first flight over here. Is it true, or is she lying again?" Cooper asks, worry and panic flooding his movie star facial features. Lying to her son about someone's condition to get Cooper to come back to Ohio was not strange anymore, but once his little brother was mentioned and at the sound of his mother's very real sobs over the phone, Cooper came back. Blaine goes silent for a few seconds, looking around the room as if someone was going to sweep him from this conversation, but of course, Wonder Woman wasn't coming.

  
"Yeah, stage three," Blaine says slowly, Cooper's legs almost stop working and turned into jelly.

  
"Jesus Christ," Cooper says, blinking more than he needed to and sucking in a deep breath, leaning heavily on the door frame.

  
"What the hell are you here for? You should be resting and- and-"

  
"Cooper, rest isn't going to just get rid of cancer," Cooper visibly flinches at the word being used. "I have stage three stomach cancer and I feel exactly the same as I did yesterday and the days before. I wanted to come to school and do it one last time before I start chemo," Blaine says, swallowing thickly and sticking his hands in his pockets.  
"I didn't mean-I just-I'm sorry," He finishes lamely, nodding his head and looking to the floor awkwardly.

  
"It's fine," Blaine replies softly, crossing his arms over his chest and shrugging casually.

  
"God, Blainey," Cooper lets out a small sob, crashing himself against his brother, wrapping his arms around him tightly as if he would just disappear if he didn't. Blaine lets Cooper hold him, laying his head on his shoulder.

  
"Who is that?" Schuester whispers to Kurt, who was now even more confused than before.

  
"His brother, Cooper," Kurt replies, sucking in yet another deep breath and wrapping his arms around himself. He knew his brother was a sore subject for Blaine, so him being here made him a little worried for Blaine's reaction. Cooper holds him tightly for a few more minutes before pulling back, setting a hand on his shoulder and wiping at his eyes with his sleeve.

  
"Well, come on, me and you can go to dinner or something. I can take you out of here. You have like a half hour left anyway," Cooper shakes his head, shrugging it off and squeezing Blaine's shoulder gently.

  
"No," Blaine says simply. The group goes wide eyed at Blaine's soft reply.

  
"What?" Cooper cocks his head to the side, shifting his weight uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

  
"No, I don't see you or hear from you since Sadie Hawkins after you promised that you'd call and now because I have cancer you expect me to drop everything and just run into your arms, like a cute, little dying boy?" Blaine asks, shaking Cooper's hand off his shoulder. Cooper's facial expression softens. "I'm not saying I don't want you here for me, but can you honestly say that you would take me from school a week before this? Or even thought about coming back or calling or sending a freakin' message on my birthday?" Blaine shakes his head at his brother, stuffing his hands in his pockets nervously. Cooper looks around nervously. "I want you here, don't get me wrong, but if you listened to me, I said I wanted one last day of school and taking five minutes from it is not what I want, let alone almost an hour," Blaine goes on.

  
Cooper looks down to the floor, shoving his hands in his dark jean's pockets, nodding slowly.

  
"Plus, I already have plans," Blaine says.

  
"What? Are you starting chemo tonight?" Cooper shoots his head back up his brow turned with confusion.

  
"No, my life isn't all cancer now, Cooper. I'm going on a date with my boyfriend," Blaine huffs out a breath, unable to believe his brother.

  
"You have a boyfriend now?" Cooper asks again, his head turning to the side with interest.

  
"Yeah, I do. His name is Kurt and he's amazing and also sitting right behind me," Blaine can't help but smile a little at the mention of his boyfriend. Cooper starts to survey the room and his eyes lock on Kurt, who gives a small wave.

  
"Hi. Cooper, Blaine's brother," Cooper gives him a small wave back.

  
"I know," Kurt replies dryly, his smile now nervous and awkward. Cooper slowly nods, his weak smile now gone.

  
"Pretty stunning, right?" Blaine jokes, nudging Cooper's shoulder. Kurt silently laughs, shaking his head. "Are you staying with us?" Blaine asks, his weak attempt at a joke and smile fading. Cooper nods once again. "Okay, then I'll see you tonight, when I get home. And don't ask me when, because I don't know. Mom and Dad already know, and no, I'm not going to drop dead tonight, so breathe and we'll talk later tonight," Blaine says simply.

  
"Blaine-"

  
"Tonight, please, Cooper. I've never asked you for anything. Just this once, do what you're told and go home. Go see Mom and we'll hang out tonight, okay?"

  
Cooper nods once again, starting towards the door, but pausing mid step, huffing out a breath, deciding if this is what he wanted to do, but surprisingly, he did what he was supposed to and left. Blaine turned back to the Glee club, trying to look positive and keep his tears from spilling down his cheeks again.

  
"Can we hug you now?" Brittany asks, breaking the short silence among the group. Blaine chuckles lightly and nods.

  
"Yeah, I'd like that,"

  
Brittany smiles brightly and is soon attacking the shorter boy with a hug. "Come on, join in," She encourages the members, squeezing Blaine tightly. It started again with Kurt, and Blaine opening his arms for him. Sam is rushing up to the trio, engulfing them in a tight embrace, his arms almost as wide as his mouth. Tina is next, and Mike follows. Finn has a teary smile on his face, but stands up anyway and joins, Rachel and Quinn both jump up as well, both having tear stained cheeks. Artie wheeled across and Quinn and Mike wrapped their arms around him as best they could.

  
"Screw it," Puck shrugs, getting to his feet and ducking his head into the large group of people. Mercedes quickly does the same and even Mr. Schue is hugging his students tightly.

  
"Come on, Santana, there's even room for you," Rachel says with a smile dancing across her lips and one of her arms open for the Latino girl. Santana sighs heavily and rolls her eyes.

  
"Fine, but this never happened," Santana teases, wrapping her arm around Rachel's.

  
"We'll be here for you, man. We always will be, no matter what," Puck says, managing to snake his arm in and pat Blaine's back.

  
"Thank you, thank you guys so much," Blaine says through a sob, before hiding his face in Kurt's shoulder, who was petting his head gently, careful of Tina who had her head resting on Kurt's free shoulder.

  
They were dysfunctional and got teased and they were sometimes horrible to each other, stealing each other's boyfriends and giving each other mono and some even gave out some slushie facials, but when one was hurting, they all were, and they were gonna be there for them, no matter what. Blaine didn't doubt it for a second.

 

 

-0-

 

  
Kurt tried to really enjoy their date, he really did, but the only thought that ran through his head was, 'this could be our last real date. I could lose him'. He would never tell Blaine how scared he really was because Blaine needed someone to be strong for him and the Glee club, Cooper and his parents didn't seem to be good candidates for that roll, so Kurt took it.

  
He always took it.

  
Whenever Blaine would laugh at a lame joke Kurt made, or when he dabbed a little of his ice cream onto Kurt's nose, Kurt could only imagine him a few months or maybe even weeks from now where he was as thin as a rail with dark circles under his eyes and bald from the chemotherapy. He could only see him dressed in heavy sweats and a beanie on his head, trying to curl into the hospital bed because not only was he exhausted, but he was freezing due to the fact he no longer had hair anywhere to keep him warm. Seeing him barely able to keep his eyes open and snuggling into Kurt for warmth, an IV going into his arm and a breathing tube going through his nose. He could only see what he saw when his mother was diagnosed with cancer when he was little, and he hated it.

  
He kept telling himself that, no, Blaine was going survive, but a part of him knew that he might not. There was an eighty-two percent chance that he will die and will lose his battle with cancer, and that was with treatment. He held himself together though and still smiled while Blaine went on about how 'Rent' was coming to Chicago and how he was hoping that it would come back to Broadway, and laughed when he turned up the radio, claiming it was his favorite song and started serenading Kurt and dancing in his seat. He kept repeating the same words in his head, 'Keep it in until you get home. For Blaine. He needed one last day with out having to worry about whether they would make it in time for his chemo treatment that day or having to wonder if he would be able to eat that food due to how sick he felt and Kurt was going to give it to him.

  
"Whatcha thinking about?" Blaine asks, his smile bright and his eyes practically glittering in the street light.

  
"Trying to focus on the road, but it's kind of hard with you beside me, dancing like an adorable monkey," Kurt chuckles, forcing the smile on his face and making it believable. He was an actor after all.

  
"Monkey?" Blaine laughs, turning in his seat slightly to look at his boyfriend with interest.

  
They were finally on their way home after going out for ice cream, dinner at Blaine's favorite restaurant, and a little bit of star gazing, all in Westerville because Lima barely had anything. It was late, but neither really minded because they both knew that "it" was starting tomorrow and they couldn't avoid it forever, so they needed tonight.

  
"I called you adorable," Kurt defends, turning his eyes back to the road, his smile light and wide.

  
"Awe," He leans over and presses a feather light kiss to Kurt's cheek, sending shivers down his spine. Kurt shakes his head playfully, making a right turn onto Blaine's street. As much as he didn't want this night to end, all he wanted to do was listen to sad music and cry, locking himself in his bedroom and not come out until he picked Blaine up for his chemo tomorrow morning.

  
As his house came into view, Blaine tensed slightly, sucking in a silent breath. Kurt noticed though. He always did.

  
"What's wrong?"

  
Two seconds ago he was happy giggles, kisses on the cheeks, and dancing in his seat and now his smile was gone and his brow was furrowed with what looked to be worry. Kurt looked between the road and Blaine quickly a few times, adjusting himself in his seat.

  
"I don't want this night to ever end," Blaine replies, looking down at his hands in his lap. Kurt nods slowly, gripping the steering wheel tighter in his hands, understanding exactly what he meant. If he could stay in this moment with his boyfriend and never have to go to a single hospital, he would be okay with that, more than okay actually.

  
"It'll be okay," Kurt says, despite his initial reaction and reaches across the arm console to grab one of Blaine's hands in his.

  
"Everyone keeps saying that and I wanna believe it, but-but I'm still scared," Blaine replies quietly. "Kurt, I don't...I don't wanna die," He hiccups, gripping Kurt's hand tighter. Kurt's eyes go wide at the confession.

  
"You are not going to die, Blaine," Kurt says quickly, pulling into the driveway his hand still interlocked with Blaine's and holding on tightly as if it was holding him together.

  
"You don't know that. What you said this morning made me feel better, but-" He stops to gather his thoughts, trying to put his thoughts into words that would make sense. By now, Kurt has the car parked and sitting at the end of the drive way of the Anderson home. "But, it feels like a far away dream. I feel like my life is over, like tonight was it. For the next like year, at the least, our dates will be spent in a hospital, where I have an IV in my arm that's pumping poison in my body, or maybe I'll be in a hospital bed too weak to even move because I'm dying,"

  
"Stop it," Kurt says, his eyes starting to water, but no tears falling. "Stop talking like that because you aren't dying. You have cancer and you still have a chance and you're going to live goddammit," Kurt looks up to the ceiling, trying to keep his tears at bay, tipping his head back against his seat.

  
"I want to believe that, so bad, but there's an eighteen percent chance that-"

  
"Exactly, you still have a chance. It could be so much worse." Kurt's voice was loud and booming now. He wasn't angry at Blaine, but angry at the situation they were in, that Blaine was in, because it wasn't fair at all. "You could have a four percent chance, or a zero percent chance, so stop talking like your life is over because it's not. It's just starting. You're going to fight this thing just like you did the bullies at McKinley and Sebastian and Hunter and for solos in the Warblers and- and everything else you have, because nothing was ever just handed to you besides money and you still refused it. You could be driving the best cars in the country and you don't because you wanted to work for it and you have and you're going to work for this. You're going to work for your life and fight for it because I won't let you just give up," Kurt says, switching around in his seat to face his boyfriend. Blaine's eyes were wide at Kurt's outburst, and quick talking, but when he was finished he wiped at his eyes and nodded.

  
"You're right. I'm going to fight for this and I'm going to beat it," Blaine says, trying to stop his tears from falling again. He was sick of crying. He felt as if it was the only thing he's done for the past two days, ever since he heard his name and cancer in the same sentence for the first time.

  
"Damn right you are," Kurt chuckles, opening his arms for him, who smiles and falls into them. "I won't let you give up because I need you. I will always need you," He whispers, hugging him to his chest, letting him cry because it was okay to cry, it always will be. 'Keep it in until you get home' he reminds himself, nuzzling his cheek against the top of Blaine's hair and trying to focus on his breathing. Blaine pulls back first, resting his head against Kurt's forehead, taking in a shaking breath before placing his lips against Kurt's.

  
It started off slow with Blaine tasting of salt from his tears and Kurt feeling the need in his lips and the way he cupped Kurt's face with both hands. Blaine opened Kurt's mouth with own, pushing his tongue in and exploring the area with urgency. Kurt gripped at his shoulders, wrinkling his polo, bringing him as close as he possibly could with the console in the way. Blaine turns his head so his nose is no longer pressed against Kurt's and pushes his tongue in deeper. Kurt is pushed back at first but is soon kissing back with the same need, pushing against his lips for dominance.

  
A knock at the window is what broke them up. Cooper was standing outside Blaine's window with a disgusted look on his face and for once in their lives it wasn't because they were gay, but because Cooper had just witnessed his little brother making out with his boyfriend. Blaine pulls back with a chuckle, ducking his head a little in embarrassment.   
"You guys were out here forever. Mom wanted me to check on you guys, but you guys seem to be just fine," Cooper says, trying to avert his eyes, his hands held up in front of his face.

  
"Be out in a minute," Blaine calls, turning his head towards the window, his hands still gripping Kurt's jaw. Cooper shakes his head, as if trying to rid his brain of the memory, but walks back towards the house anyway, mumbling something about how gross that was and how he would have to bleach his eyes later tonight.

  
"Wow, what a great first impression I made," Kurt jokes, rubbing his boyfriend's shoulder gently with his thumb.

  
"Cooper's no one to impress," Blaine laughs, pecking Kurt's now red and swollen lips before pulling back completely, opening the door in one motion. Kurt laughs, his smile remaining on his face.

  
"What time do I need to pick you up tomorrow?"

  
"My appointment is at nine, so maybe eight thirty?" Blaine replies, wavering his hand back and forth as if he was guessing around the time.

  
"Okay, I'll be here at eight twenty-nine," Kurt smiles, sitting back in his seat.

  
"Thank you, Kurt,"

  
"Don't thank me for anything, okay? Ever. You have no reason to," Kurt replies, gripping Blaine's hand once more, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. Blaine nods again, squeezing Kurt's slightly bigger hand tightly before releasing it. "I love you!" Kurt calls as Blaine stepped his foot out onto the pavement.

  
"I love you too," Blaine smiles, turning back and pecking his lips quickly, stepping out from the car, and shutting the door behind him. Kurt took a breath of relief, his shoulder relaxing from built up tension. He waited until Blaine was inside before pulling out and starting back for Lima, trying to hold himself together until he got home.

 

 

-0-

 

  
"Hey, Kurt. How was your date with Blaine?" At the sound of the door opening and closing, Burt was calling through the house to his son, pushing the buttons on the TV remote furiously because as always, the remote wasn't doing its job. "Jesus-Kurt can you help me a sec?" He asks, leaning forward in his sunken seat on the couch to try and get closer to the TV, turning his wrist at odd angles, hoping something will work. He was going to miss the new episode of "Deadliest Catch" if he doesn't.

  
No answer. Footsteps walk through the house and stop at the doorway.

  
"Kurt-" Burt turns his head around to see his son standing at the doorway, tears in his ocean blue eyes, and his usually perfectly done hair, disheveled. "Kurt?" The said boy, lets his bag drop to the floor and he lets out a broken sob. "Come here," Burt sits back and opens his arms for the teen. Kurt rushes towards them, hiding his face in Burt's chest, gripping at his greasy work shirt.

  
"What happened? Was it Blaine?"

  
At the mention of his name, Kurt cries harder, his grip tightening on his father. It was Blaine. "Did he hurt you? If he did I swear, I will beat his ass," His voice quickly turned angry at the thought of the former Warbler laying a hand on his son.

 

"He can't leave me, Dad," Kurt manages, his voice muffled, but clearly full of hurt and worry.

  
"What? What do you mean?" He tries to make sense of Kurt's words and could only come up with one conclusion.

  
"Did Blaine break up with you?" Burt asks, trying to coax his son into talking. He wasn't much help if he didn't know what was going on. Kurt shakes his head, his shoulders shaking with the strong sobs wracking his body.

  
"He's my forever, my one and only. I can't live with out him. I gave him everything and now it could all just disappear with the snap of the fingers,"

  
"Kurt, buddy, you gotta talk to me. What happened?" His father asks, rubbing Kurt's back gently with his large, callused and worked hands. The countertenor pulls his head up from his father's lap, not bothering to wipe at his eyes.

  
"Blaine has cancer," Kurt cries, his voice cracking on the word itself. "It's stage three," Burt's expression goes blank and his hands go limp around his son. This was the last thing he expected. He knew it was serious, because Kurt coming home sobbing his eyes out was rare, but he wasn't expecting cancer and certainly not in Blaine.

  
Blaine was a healthy seventeen year old boy. He worked out, he danced and was damn good at it, he could sing just as well as Kurt and he was usually bouncing on his heels with happiness and excitement and would do anything for his son, even if the request was ridiculous. How did someone like that get cancer?

  
The day Blaine came into his work place and told him he needed to talk to his son about sex, Burt knew this kid was gonna be around for awhile. He knew there was something different about him, fearless almost, and he loved it. Kurt and Blaine started dating and Burt was happy the two knuckleheads had finally realized how much they really liked each other. Burt wasn't exactly a romantic kind of guy, but he saw the way they looked at each other and it was close to how he used to look at Elizabeth.

  
Blaine started coming around more and more, and he quickly became another member of the family, he even had his own mug for when he spent the night and had coffee the next morning. Burt considered him a third son. Normally, a parent would be upset when they saw their kids snuggling on the couch or giving each other goodnight kisses on the porch that were a bit too long, or prolong their goodbye's because they were giggling and their arms were wrapped tightly around each other, only a small space left between, but definitely 'no room for Jesus' as Quinn would say, but he never was. He would get a bright smile on his face when he would poke his head through the curtain in the living room and give them their time before he knew he had to break them up so Blaine wasn't late for curfew.

  
At first, he wasn't exactly happy with the idea that Kurt was gay because he knew he would have to go through so much pain in his life that wasn't necessary, but he was happy that he had Blaine. Someone who would get him through those times and protect him from those things and now he had cancer.

  
Kurt had so many things stolen from him, his mother, his first kiss, almost his father, and now Blaine might be added to the list that could go on forever. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right.

  
"Dad, I know I'm young, and I shouldn't be saying this, but he's my world. I don't think I could live with out him. He's been there when no one else was. He's my rock when I need him and my pillow when I want him and he could just leave me," Kurt sobs harder, his voice going quiet towards the end, almost unable to continue. "They let murderers go and people who commit sexual assault a slap on the hand, and Blaine, the sweetest, liveliest person to exist gets cancer. How is that fair? I don't understand. He doesn't deserve this. He deserves so much more. He deserves the world, and the universe gives him cancer," Kurt shakes his head with disbelief, turning his upper lip in disgust and a sob escaping through is thin, chapped lips.

  
"The world works in cruel ways, Kurt,"

  
"I already lost mom, I can't lose him too, Dad. I love him so much. He's my first love, and my only love. I know that I'm only seventeen and I have my whole life ahead of me, but so does Blaine, so why might his get cut short? Why him?" Burt didn't have an answer. What was he suppose to say to something like that? "We're suppose to get old together and have kids and move to New York and be on Broadway, and now they've given him cancer, because I guess being a gay kid in Ohio, with a shitty family and getting beaten up at a dance, almost blinded by a rock-salt slushie, and bullied throughout his entire school career just isn't enough. Nope, they have to give him cancer," He groans loudly in frustration. Burt didn't know what to say to that. He was right. It wasn't fair and Blaine has already been through so much as well and now at seventeen he has cancer and has a large chance of dying.

  
"Eighteen percent chance of survival," Kurt scoffs, shaking his head with anger. "Do you believe that?" Burt swears his heart stopped at that confession. He figured the chance was low, but he was figuring forty or forty five, not eighteen. He can't think about that right now though. He has to be here for Kurt.

  
"Kurt, Blaine's strong. He'll be just fine. But, you're gonna have to be there for him and be patient with him, okay?" Burt sits up slightly in his seat, trying to put his best 'Dad Face' on and keep his own emotions at rest until Kurt was able to get his own out. He rests a gentle hand on Kurt's knee. "I know this seems like the end of the world, but he'll make it through this because he is one of the strongest people I've met in my life. He's stronger than most adults and he's only seventeen. I'm not saying this is gonna be a breeze, because it's not, but he'll make it out of this,"

  
"How do you know that?" Kurt sniffs, looking down at his hands, his tears starting to dry on his cheeks.

  
"I don't," Burt says simply, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head from side to side. "But, you can't lose faith in him, if you do that, then so will he and if he doesn't have hope then this cancer is going to win," He adds, patting Kurt's knee gently. Kurt nods in response. "You have to be patient with him though, because between the chemo, medication, radiation and the cancer itself, he's gonna get really sick and weak, and if it's that far, then I imagine he's going to be going through rough rounds of chemo and strong drugs, it'll knock him out and make him sick and weak and he'll lose his appetite, and it's possible that they may have to put a feeding tube in him, or a breathing tube, maybe a port through his skin, there are a million different possibilities, but they're all going to drain him,"

  
"Feeding tube?" Kurt looks up, his mind going to the worst. Does that make him a vegetable. He'll be hooked up to these machines and won't be able to leave and-

  
"Yeah, they put a tube in through his nose and down to his stomach, so he gets the nutrients he's suppose to have. They did it to your mom because she lost her appetite due to chemotherapy and she had leukemia. If the tumor is in his stomach, I can imagine it's worsened and he's gonna need you, but that doesn't mean that you can't keep moving forward. You still need to go to school and get through the day because you need to pass this year. I imagine he'll either get this year excused or keep on top of his work while he's getting chemo or when he's up for it, but you need to keep on top of yours too, alright?"

  
"Yeah," Kurt nods. That never even crossed him mind. Blaine might be held back a year. They might have to put this back a year because of Blaine's cancer. No, knowing Blaine, he'll keep his work up or go to an online school for a year so he can finish the same year he was suppose to be graduating, but even if he can't, then Kurt will wait for him.

  
"I love you, Kurt,"

  
"I love you too, Dad," Kurt nods, crawling back into his father's arms and letting him hold him for a few minutes before pulling back. "I'm gonna go to bed, but Blaine asked if I could take him to his first chemo tomorrow morning, and I said yes, so I won't be in school tomorrow. I should have consulted you first, I'm sorry, I-"

  
"Kurt, it's fine, but remember what I said, don't fall behind,"

  
"I won't," Kurt gives him a small smile.

  
"Kurt, if he needs anything, or you need anything, you know I'm here for the both of you, right?"

  
"Yeah, of course I do. Thank you, so much," Kurt says, attacking his father's arms one last time. "Can you do something for me actually?"

  
"What is it?" Burt asks, his arms still wrapped tightly around his son.

  
"Can you tell Carole for me? Finn already knows, but I really don't wanna do that again. I'm sick of telling people almost as much as Blaine is,"

  
"Of course,"

  
"Thanks," Kurt lets himself go from his father's grasp and gets to his feet. "Goodnight," Kurt gives his dad a small smile, wiping at his eyes as he does so.

  
"Night, Kurt," The mechanic returns the smile, letting out a deep breath, and running a hand over the back of his bald head, stretching himself as far out as he could. Kurt stares at him for a few more seconds before spinning on his heels and heading up the stairs, taking two at a time to get to his bedroom.

  
He pushes the door open, plopping himself down on the edge of the bed decorated with one too many decorative pillows and staring down at his hands.

  
"He'll be alright," Kurt tells himself, taking in a deep breath to steady himself. "He'll be fine," He repeats, closing his eyes, and hanging his head down, trying to keep his tears from coming again because there was no need for it, he was going to be okay. He was going to be just fine. He had to be. 

 


	2. Chapter Two: First Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad people enjoyed the first part, but I would love more comments and kudos! Please tell me if you guys want this, I really wanna know because I have worked so hard on these and I just wanna know people like it. Thank you for reading and enjoy the second part!

"Sweetie, it's time to get up," Blaine's mother coos, shaking her son's shoulder gently.

"Five more minutes," Blaine grumbles, hiding his face further into his pillow.

"I already gave you ten. Come on or you'll be late for your appointment,"

Her words made Blaine stiffen. That's right, his first chemo treatment is today and he had cancer. Blaine nods slowly, his eyes now open, but still snuggled against his pillow.  
"K," He replies simply, his voice still groggy and unclear from sleep. Pamela gives him a sympathetic smile, pressing a light kiss to his forehead and getting up from the edge of the bed, the clicks of her heels soon fading down the hallway. Blaine waits until he knows she's gone before rolling over on his back, checking the clock on his bedside table.

'7:45 AM' read the bright red numbers. He still needed a shower and he only had forty-five minutes until Kurt would be here.

"I don't wanna do this," Blaine shakes his head, looking back up at his wood paneled ceiling, studying the patterns in the dark oak. He rests his forearm over his forehead and sucks in a deep breath, in through the nose and out through the mouth. "But you have to," He reminds himself.

"Are you talking to yourself?" Cooper's voice in the doorway made Blaine jump back, and snap his head towards the source.

"Jesus, can you stop just showing up in doorways," Blaine half jokes, now sitting up and a hand resting over his now fast beating heart. Cooper chuckles lightly, still dressed in his pajama bottoms and dark grey t-shirt, a mug full of coffee in his hand and his usual picture ready hair, falling in wisps over his forehead.

"Sorry, I just heard a voice and thought you snuck someone in your room," Cooper jokes, taking a long drink from his plain white, steaming mug. Blaine smirks a little, letting his hand go limp in his lap. Cooper's smile falls and he's soon pushing off the oak door frame and sitting on the edge of Blaine's bed, setting his mug down on the nightstand. "How you feeling?" He asks, his face turning serious, noting Blaine's facial expression.

"How am I suppose to feel? I'm going to chemo for the first time. They don't exactly give you a book on this in health class," Blaine's voice is dry. He swallows thickly, not meeting Cooper's gaze, scared he was going to cry again. He was sick of crying, he's produced enough tears in the past two days that could fix the water problem in Flint if he bottled his tears. Cooper opens his mouth to try and comfort his little brother, but he didn't know what to say. What was he suppose to say? Telling him everything was going to be okay would just upset him, he voiced that last night when the four Andersons had sat down and had a talk about what the next year might be like.

Instead, the older Anderson brother just rest a hand on his calf, patting it gently and giving his brother a reassuring smile. That seemed to be the right thing, because Blaine was looking back up and meeting his brother's gaze and returning the smile.

"You've got a lot of support," Cooper finishes, studying his brother's hazel eyes. Blaine nods, knowing it was true. Without another word, Blaine was wrapping his arms around Cooper's shoulders and pulling him in for a hug. Cooper can't help the smile on his face and pats Blaine's back in a brotherly way. They embrace for a few minutes, before Blaine pulls away.

"I hear they have awesome snack carts," Cooper says seriously. Blaine laughs loudly, his chin meeting his chest. Cooper can't help himself and is soon following suit. He waits for the laughter to die down before patting him on the leg once more. "Alright, you better go take a shower, you only have around a half hour before Kurt gets here," Cooper gets back to his feet, grabbing his still hot mug of coffee and starting back for the door.

"Cooper?" Blaine hesitates, his face turning serious once more. Cooper turns around, raising his eyebrows as a way to say 'go ahead'. "I'm sorry I said I didn't want you here, because I do. It's just this is all really hard for me, which I know is no excuse but-"

"Blaine, calm down. I get it, but I swear I'm not leaving until you're healthy again, alright, Squirt?"

Blaine chuckles at the old nickname. "Yeah, okay,"

Cooper gives him a lopsided grin. "Good, now go get in the shower, I can smell you from here," He jokes, heading out the door once more, this time without being interrupted.   
Blaine can feel a little weight lifted from his shoulders as he's grabbing a change of clothes and hopping in the shower in his en suite bathroom. He knows he can't spend a long time in there, so he cleans his hair, and washes himself quickly, barely letting himself enjoy the warm spray on his skin.

He switches it off, reaching blindly for his towel hanging on it's hook, finally being able to grab it after a few tries. Blaine dries off quickly while standing in the tub before pulling back the shower curtain, tucking the towel around his waist and stepping out. He wipes the mirror free of the steam that had managed to form over the glass, despite how short he was in there for and started reaching for his comb, but stopped, noticing his reflection.

This would be one of the last times He got to see himself like this. Soon he would be loosing hair and as white as a sheet. He knew he's lost a little weight because of the appetite loss he's had for the past few weeks, but it was nothing remarkable, soon it would be. Kurt and himself wouldn't be the only ones to notice, everyone would be able to tell. He shook his head at the thought of seeing his reflection and ran his comb through his still wet hair, trying to tame the damp curls before they got dry and were almost impossible to gel down. He hated his curls, but he sure as hell didn't want them to fall out.

He rolled his eyes at himself, taking a goop of gel out from it's container sitting on the counter-top and running it through his fingers, warming it up, before running it over his scalp to let his curls stay down, right where he wanted them to be.

When he was finished, he pulled on a clean pair of boxers and slipped into his dark blue Dalton sweatpants and Kurt's "Mama Mia" hoodie before heading out from his bedroom, after grabbing his phone, and down the stairs to the kitchen.

"Morning Sweetheart, I have your medication sitting on the counter there, don't forget to take it," His mother says, refilling her coffee mug, already dressed in a pencil skirt and dark blue blouse and a pair of black, platform heels, ready for work. Blaine fought the urge to roll his eyes. He knows his mom was helping, but he wasn't a child. He can still get his own medication and can still take them by himself, but if it made her feel better, then he wasn't going to say anything about it.

"Thank you," He gives her a smile, grabbing a glass down from the cupboard.

"Honey, I already got you a glass of water," She says nodding towards the breakfast bar where the four tablets sat next to a tall glass of water. Blaine nods, fighting with every ounce in his body not to scream he wasn't a nine year old boy. He puts the glass back and takes two of the four tablets in hand, swallowing them with one gulp of water before continuing with the other two.

Cooper watched the pair from his spot on the breakfast bar beside his father, who was too engrossed in the newspaper and the mug of black coffee he was nursing to notice. Cooper raises one eyebrow, his face half hidden by his mug.

"You gonna take the last cup of coffee, Blaine?" Cooper asks, nodding towards the coffee pot that their mother was walking away from.

"Not suppose to have coffee or anything sugary or with caffeine," Blaine replies softly, finishing off the glass of water and instead grabbing the jug of milk from the fridge, his hand hovering over the orange juice, but knowing there was too much sugar for his new diet.

"Oh," Cooper says, clearing his throat awkwardly and getting to his feet to refill his cup. Blaine nods slowly. He checked the time on the microwave.

'8:20 AM'

'Thank god,' He says in his head, finishing off his glass rather quickly and rinsing it out, setting it in the sink. He heads for the door, slipping on his normal Toms.

"You look relaxed today," His mother mentions, really taking a good look at her son.

"Yeah, I was told to dress comfortably by Kurt because I was gonna be sitting around all day, and wear something loose so they can get to the veins easier," Blaine explains, checking his phone quickly for any texts, trying to busy himself and ignore the way his mother tried not to cringe from his words.

"How does Kurtis know so much about this?" James asks, finally looking up from his newspaper.

"It's Kurt, and his mom died from cancer when he was eight," Blaine explains, checking the time on his phone. '8:25 AM.' 'Come on Kurt,' He could tell this conversation was about to go South with the way his dad almost glared at Blaine for correcting him.

"His mother took him to chemo? No wonder he's-"

"He's what, Dad? Gay? A fag?" Blaine interrupts, sticking his hands in my pockets. "So what do you think made me gay? Being raised by my brother? Being stuck in a private school until I begged to be put in a public school when I was eleven? Hearing you come home drunk off your ass and going upstairs to-"

"Blaine," Cooper says sharply, giving his brother wide eyes. Blaine snaps his gaze from his father's challenging, green eyes to Cooper's. Blaine's flicks his tongue over his bottom lip, looking between the three of his family members. His mother was leaning against the counter, her eyes wide. She's never actually witnessed one of their fights about his sexuality, but now she has.

"Never mind," Blaine says quietly, hanging his head down and shaking his head. The air was thick at this point, thick with unsaid words and resentment. Blaine was about to leave for the living room, but soon Kurt was knocking against the front door. The curly haired boy spins on his heels to open it up for boyfriend, the three were watching him quietly.   
Kurt was dressed in a pair of red skinny jeans, a white button up covered by a black cardigan, and a pair black converse, that more stylish than any pair of Blaine's, and of course his auburn hair was put up in a perfect coif, his thin lips, having a bright smile. Blaine can't help but smile at the sight of him, trying not to gawk at him for too long.

"Hi," Kurt says, quickly noticing the tension and his smile fading, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Hi," Blaine grins, staring into the sea of Kurt's eyes. It was a bold move, but Blaine did it anyway. He had stage three cancer, he's never done it before and he's dreamed of doing it, so he did. He closed the space between Kurt and himself and placed a hello kiss onto his lips. Kurt's eyes go wide at first, but is soon kissing back. It wasn't a make out or dirty. It was just a simple kiss, but it still made his father shift uncomfortably in his seat, which was Blaine's goal. "Hi," Blaine repeats, once he's pulled back. Kurt's coughs awkwardly, his eyes going even wider at Blaine's accomplished grin.

"Alright, I'll probably be back later tonight, probably after chemo is over we'll go and celebrate then go to Kurt's, so I'll see you guys tonight," Blaine says, looking at them over his shoulder.

"OK, good luck, baby. We love you," Pam smiles, but it doesn't quite reach her dark brown eyes.

"You got this, Squirt," Cooper has a proud grin on his face, giving him a wink. Blaine can't help but feel a weight off his shoulders as he takes Kurt's hand and shuts the front door behind him.

"The hell was that about?" Kurt asks, squeezing Blaine's hand, probably out of shock. They've never even hugged in front of Blaine's dad, let alone had a full blown kiss while he was nursing a cup of coffee and staring at the pair. Blaine shrugs, his smile still bright as he opened the passenger door to Kurt's Navigator and got in, buckling up his seat belt. Kurt blinks a few times, mumbling a few words to himself before getting in himself.

 

The ride to the hospital wasn't silent. It never was with Kurt and Blaine. There always had to be a song playing through the speakers and things were never awkward between them. They didn't talk much, but it was comfortable because there wasn't a lot to be said.

It was fine, until the hospital came into view, and Blaine reached for Kurt's hand, his smile instantly fading into nothing.

"This appointment is usually easy, just a lot of waiting around, really," Kurt says, trying to calm Blaine's nerves. Blaine nods, biting his bottom lip carefully. "I'll be here right beside you the entire time. You have nothing to worry about, I promise,"

Blaine switches his gaze from the hospital to his boyfriend, giving him a small smile.

"Promise?"

"Always," Kurt nods, bringing Blaine's hand up to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to his white knuckles. "They wouldn't be able to take me from you no matter how hard they tried. We're gonna do this together,"

Blaine nods again, letting out a long breath from between his lips and turning his gaze back to the hospital building approaching too quickly for Blaine's taste.

Kurt pulled in, finding a parking spot easily. He put his Navigator in park and set the keys in his lap.

"This appointment will be a breeze," Kurt says, turning to look at him, resting his hand over Blaine's. Blaine swallows thickly, bobbing his head up and down, finally meeting Kurt's eyes.

"I love you," Blaine blurts.

"I love you more," Kurt teases, leaning over the center console to press a soft kiss to Blaine's lips, holding his chin in between his thumb and forefinger. "Ready?"

"Yeah, I think I am," Blaine says, his forehead still pressed against Kurt's. His boyfriend smiles gently, pecking his lips once more before getting out and joining Blaine at the front of the car. Kurt reaches his hand out, making a grabby hand for Blaine. Blaine chuckles lightly, fitting his own hand inside Kurt's and squeezing gently.  
  
They walk through the doors and head for the front desk.

"Hello boys, how can I help you?" A secretary was already sitting at the computer. She seemed friendly enough. Her bright smile reached her light blue eyes, which Blaine thought was incredible. Seeing all these people come in with all sorts of sad stories cannot be easy, and yet here she was with a bright smile on her face and her dark brown hair pulled into a tight bun on the back of her head, her red framed reading glasses sat upon her head. She must be practiced if the real looking smile and slight crowfeet was anything to go by.

"I'm Blaine Anderson, here for my first chemo treatment," Blaine explains, his grip tightening on Kurt's hand.

"Okay, you can just take a seat and a nurse will come out and get you. You can fill this out while you wait and before long someone will take you back to get your blood drawn,"

She explains, pulling out a clipboard from behind the desk and handing it to Blaine along with a pen.

"Thank you," Blaine gives her a gentle nod before finding a seat. Kurt sits right beside him, finally letting go of his hand so he can fill out these papers.

He was here. He was about to start his cancer journey. He was about to go into a room, get his blood drawn then get poison pumped through his veins.

According to his mother, his grandfather had stomach cancer. She had told him last night during the family talk. He knew his grandfather on his mother's side was dead, but he never knew what it was from and now he can take a lucky guess. It kept him up last night, thinking about it and how if his grandfather died, maybe he would too. His mom never said anything more about it though, she didn't say what stage he was diagnosed at or when he was diagnosed, but she just said that he had it.

"Honey, did you want me to help you?" Kurt's voice broke him out from his thoughts. He looks up at Kurt and back down to the paper, his hand was trembling, the pen making small marks at the top of the purple colored page.

"Sorry, I-"

"Don't apologize. Do you need my help?" Kurt asks, his thumb rubbing gently across his arm. Blaine nods slowly, handing both to his boyfriend. The countertenor gives him a small, reassuring smile and took it, starting to go through the basic things.

Blaine looks up at the group of people waiting with him. A man who looked like he was in his late seventies was sitting across from him, a younger woman, (Daughter?) had her arm locked around his. Both of them were chatting idly, probably about the weather or what they were doing later that day, or maybe about her children. He had an oxygen tank sitting next to him and a cane beside that, but he seemed so casual about why he was here in the first place.

A few chairs down a boy who was younger than he was sat with an older man, who looked to be his father. He knew it was the young boy was sick because he was pale and very skinny, not to mention he had no hair left on his head, while his father looked more than healthy. He looked like he could hop up and run a marathon and win, even in his dark jeans and button up shirt. Both of them were playing on a device. The little boy had a hand held gaming system and the father had a phone in hand. Blaine was just confused on why the little boy wasn't in the children's wing.

Another pair was sat a few chairs down from Blaine and Kurt. A woman who was maybe thirty-five at the most. Her hair was gone and she had her chemo needle still taped to her arm. She was also quite skinny and had what looked to be a feeding tube coming from her nose. She had a book in hand and looked as if she's done this a million times. He hoped he would never look like that. He hoped that he wouldn't have to go through more than a couple hard rounds of chemo, then he could get his surgery, and go through another weak round of chemo, then on to radiation, but he had high hopes.

"Blaine?" Kurt nudged the said boy gently with his elbow.

"What? Sorry," Blaine whips his head back towards Kurt, his bottom lip stuck between his teeth.

"You okay?" He asks, his brow furrowing with worry. Blaine forces a light chuckle.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Didn't sleep well," Blaine shrugs it off. It wasn't a complete lie. The thought of going to chemo for the first time did keep him up, but the lack of sleep wasn't bothering him. Kurt could tell that wasn't it, but he didn't say anything about it. Instead he just nodded and looked back down at the forms.

"Name of insurance?" Kurt asks. Blaine quickly rambles the name of his dad's insurance and tried not to look around the room anymore.

After Kurt finished the forms, it wasn't long until Blaine was being called back. The young boy and woman were both called back before him, but the elderly man was still sitting with his daughter, still chatting like he wasn't there for cancer when Blaine and Kurt followed the nurse down the hall and into a room to get his blood taken.

The room was just like any other room he's ever gotten blood drawn from. There was a chair similar to the ones in the waiting room sat beside a counter where jars full of cotton balls, tongue depressors, and q-tips were sitting, and at the end of the counter was a deep sink. Another couple waiting chairs were sat one the opposite wall of that one. A backless stool was sitting in the middle of the room and posters about blood cells and everything about organs were hung up around the room for decoration.

Blaine took a seat in the chair beside the counter and Kurt sat in the one closest to Blaine to make sure he knew he was always there. Blaine shot him a nervous smile, and Kurt returned a firm one.

"Okay, so everyn time you come in for chemo, we're going to draw your blood, to check for changes and to make sure that you're white and red blood cells can handle another round of chemo and how much we can give you and for how long. Are you squeamish with needles?"

The nurse young, she couldn't be over thirty-five. She had bright blonde, wavy hair that was braided into a pair of pigtails, resting on her shoulders. She had a pair of dark framed glasses on and she just looked like a happy person in general. A smile on her face, even if her lips weren't turned up.

"A little," Blaine coughs, shifting in his chair uncomfortably.

"Well, by the time you're done with chemotherapy, you won't be. You'll be used to it," She says, putting on a pair of lilac colored gloves and reaching for a few small test tubes. "Do you care which arm I choose?" She asks.

"No," Blaine shakes his head.

"You're nervous, aren't you?" She asks, grabbing a needle from one of the drawers and starting to unwrap the package.

"A little," Blaine repeats, his hand starting to fidget. Kurt is quickly on his feet, taking Blaine's hand in his own. The nurse notices, but doesn't say anything or have a weird look on her face, which seemed to calm Blaine down.

"No need to be. The first appointment is usually just routine. It'll be one of the longest, but it'll be the easiest," She replies, grabbing a blue band from one of the drawers and wrapping it around Blaine's left arm, right above his elbow. Blaine nods once again, gripping Kurt's hand tighter. Kurt takes the one in both his hands, running his thumb across his knuckles comfortingly.

The young nurse grabs a moist towelette from one of the jars and opens the packaging to clean Blaine's skin with so she can stick the needle in.

"Sorry, that's probably a little cold,"

"It's fine," Blaine shakes it off, letting his left arm relax so he wouldn't have to be poked twice. She grabs the needle again and hooks one of the test tubes up to the end of it.  
"Ready?"

"Yeah,"

At Blaine's words she sinks the needle into his arm, sticking it there with a piece of medical tape. Blaine hisses as the initial reaction, but is soon relaxing. The small tube is soon filling with the dark red substance from Blaine's arm and she hooking it off to put another on. After the second tube, she undoes the blue strap on Blaine's arm and grabs a cotton pad from the counter. She removes the needle after the third tube and holds the cotton pad over the small dot where the blood was drawn from.

"Hold this," She instructs. Blaine releases Kurt's hand just long enough to hold it there until she can grab a small piece of tape and keep it there. "And you're done," She gives him a bright smile, chucking the needle into the bio-hazard box behind her and tossing the garbage away in a nearby trashcan. "You can head back to the waiting room and within around a half-hour to an hour you'll be called back for your first round of chemo," She says, grabbing the three test tubes and setting them on her clipboard.

"Thanks," Blaine returns the smile, standing up with Kurt, instantly slipping his hand into his after pulling his sleeve back down. She holds the door open for the couple and slips out behind them, speed walking down the opposite way, so they could test and run the blood.

They sat for another hour until they were called back once again, only this time instead of being led back to labs, they were lead further down the hall, past the cafeteria and to a large room. In the middle there were two rows of large, green leather chairs sitting back to back and the room was surrounded by the green chairs, lining the walls. There was a table and a chair similar to the other waiting chairs, but looking a lot more comfortable, beside each of the chemotherapy chairs.

The room wasn't full but there were quite a few people sitting around, with magazines, laptops, books, or phones in hand. Some looked sicker than others. Almost all of them having someone to occupy the chair beside them to keep them company, and probably drive them home afterwards.

Blaine's nurse led them to the far left corner and Blaine took a seat in the comfy chair, and Kurt sat beside him.

"Alright, which arm did they do blood work on?" The young, male nurse asks Blaine, wheeling a small cart behind him.

"Left arm," Blaine replies, rolling up his sleeve and resting his forearm against the cool leather of the chair.

"Okay, great,"

This nurse was just as friendly as the one who drew his blood. He looked a little younger than the last one, but still had a smile on his face, although his was more determined than the other's. He had a dark olive colored skin and long brown hair that was pulled into a tight man-bun. He had dark brown eyes and thick, bushy eyebrows, similar to Blaine's only more rectangular and sporting a nice, but light beard. He pulls on a pair of dark blue gloves from his cart and pulls up a stool, sitting in front of Blaine.

"Did you wanna keep the needle in, or did you wanna get it redone every time you come in?" He asks, already cleaning the top of Blaine's forearm.

"I'd rather just get it poked every time, if that's not a problem," Blaine says softly. The idea of having a needle in his arm all the time kinda panicked him, he would rather just get poked a few times.  
"That's not a problem at all," He gives Blaine a small smile. "I'm Damien by the way, and I'll be the one taking care of you today,"

"Nice to meet you," Blaine returns the small smile. Kurt is sitting silently beside him, one of his legs crossed over the other.

"I wish it was under different circumstances, but it's nice to meet you too," Damien smiles, pulling out a needle attached to a bag that looks similar to an IV tube. "This looks like an IV tube, but it's your first round of chemo for the day. This is Capecitabine and will take around two hours for it to empty, then we'll wait an hour then give you another bag with Cisplatin instead, which will take another two hours, then we'll flush you out with some IV, to make sure you're hydrated and we don't kill your kidneys in one go. We'll observe you for an hour, then you are free for the day," He explains, hooking the bag up to an IV stand with a machine on it, complete with a timer and how many milliliters it was and what it was. Blaine nods, absorbing the information, just like Kurt was. He sits back in his stool, grabbing one of the needles and hooking one end to the bag.

"Alright, you ready?"

"Yup," Blaine nods, he looks down at his arm and watches the needle enter his skin. He hisses slightly, scrunching his face as soon as the cool metal entered his skin. Damien puts a piece of tape at the top of the needle where it entered his olive skin and another to hold it in place at the end of the needle near his hand and right above his hospital band that was given after he signed in this morning.

"Okay, so, if you need anything, you can press your nurse button and I'll be on my way and you can get up and use the bathroom if you need to. A snack cart usually comes around in a couple hours. You can basically do anything you want, just stay outta trouble," Damien teases, shoving his stool back beside Blaine's chair and pulling his cart out of the way. "I'll see you in a couple hours,"

"Thank you," Blaine says shyly as he moves to the young girl from the waiting room a few chairs down, checking on them next.

"What's it feel like?" Kurt asks, grabbing Blaine's hand in his own once again, running his free hand up and down his arm that wasn't getting poison pumped into it.

"It feels like an IV, only instead of having like a cool rush through you, it's kinda of like a dark, tangy feeling. I can actually kinda taste it," Blaine says, turning his lips in disgust.

"Ew," Kurt chuckles. Blaine nods in agreement, letting out a small laugh. "So, since you told your parents you won't be home 'til late, I figure if you're feeling up to it, maybe we can go get some smoothies or something,"

"Smoothies?" Blaine chuckles,

"Well, you can't have coffee anymore, and if we get you some green juice or something, It'll be good for you. I've been trying to get you to try those things forever now, and now is my chance," Kurt teases. Blaine chuckles lightly, knowing it was true.

Kurt would show up to Glee practice with a green juice from the Lima Bean and Blaine refused to even try it, because it looked absolutely repulsive, but Kurt would still try and get him to take a sip every time he did have one.

"They're not that bad, and they're pretty good for you,"

"Alright, fine, but I have one request," Blaine bargains, raising his eyebrows. Kurt cocks his head slightly, urging him on. "We have to go to Dalton. It's time I told the Warblers," Blaine says, his face turning serious quickly, looking down at his hands.

"I guess, but I'm not looking forward to seeing that rat," Kurt rolls his eyes at the thought of having to see Sebastian Smythe again. Blaine's smile is soon returning.

"I love you,"

"I love you too," Kurt replies, leaning back in his chair, both of them now facing forwards. Blaine yawns tiredly, snuggling closer into Kurt's shoulder.

"We should not have stayed out so late last night," Blaine teases, his eyes starting to close. "Did you tell your dad last night?"

"Yeah, I did," Kurt nods, dancing his fingertip across Blaine's forearm.

"How'd he take it?"

"Well, you know him. He's not exactly a crier, but he was upset. I think he cried later when he told Carole. I heard them talking about it this morning," He admits, scrunching his eyebrows at the memory. Blaine nods again, leaning heavily against Kurt.

"If you need to, go to sleep. I'll wake you in a few hours. You could use the rest," Kurt whispers gently, placing a kiss on the top of Blaine's head. His boyfriend nods, nuzzling his nose against Kurt's cardigan. It didn't take more than a few minutes for Blaine to fall asleep completely.

 

Damien has seen a ton of people come through the chemo rooms. Young girls under the age of ten and elderly men over the age of seventy. He's seen people with terminal cancer, who only had under a year to live and people with stage one or two, still full of life and planning their futures. People come in chatting idly to each other and joking around with him and others don't talk at all and just give a short nod or a shake of the head. He's encountered couples coming to support the patient, and other people who don't have a visitor until they get too weak to drive. He's seen straight couples and gay couple, lymphoma, breast cancer, colan cancer, leukemia, and so on, but there something about his new patient that was interesting.

He had stage three A of stomach cancer at the age seventeen. It wasn't the youngest he's seen and he's seen worse progression of gastric cancer, but there was something about him. He was obviously nervous, but it seemed like he knew exactly what to expect and how it was going to be done. He wasn't an idiot.

He's brought another boy with him, who looked around the same age. They were practically attached at the hip. Blaine, the cancer patient, was sitting with his head resting against the other boy's shoulder, resting peacefully and his boyfriend (?) had his phone pulled out, looking through it with a furrowed brow, but still had his arm wrapped around Blaine's, his fingertips, grazing the olive skin on his forearm.

Like he's said, he's seen a fair share of gay and straight couples come through here, but never a pair so young and so...so married, for lack of better words. The PDA they showed was a lot more than the other gay couples would show, especially on the first day, around all these other people they'd probably never get to know. Their touching wasn't invasive or sexual, but it was enough to tell they were a couple, and in love. Instead of being a pair of teenage boys, they looked like they've been married for at least five years and doing this was very casual, not the chemo, but the support they gave each other.

When he was putting the needle in Blaine, the taller boy didn't look scared or repulsed by seeing the needle go in, and the only look on his face was a look of anxiety, but it wasn't for him, it was for the hiss of pain about to come from the patient's mouth and after Blaine had jumped as the initial reaction, not only did Blaine relax, but so did the other boy, like he didn't want to see him in any pain at all. Even when Blaine was sleeping, and he snapped a quick selfie of the pair, he didn't look like he cared that people were staring, it seemed as if he was used to it.

They didn't have the dopey look of being love on their faces all the time, like normal couples would have at that age. You knew they were in love, but they didn't need an arrow in their asses and large, cartoon heart eyes to tell that they did love each other. The simple touch of their hands was just enough and the peck of the lips showed it just as well. It was almost as if they've been through enough, that they were out of the honeymoon phase already as young teenagers and have been together for twenty years. It was fascinating to Damien.

Living in Westerville, Ohio, he would never walk around with his hand interlocked with his husband's and he was thirty-two, but here was this young couple, not only holding hands, but leaning heavily against each other, like it was nothing out of the ordinary. He almost felt proud for them. He's sure they've been bullied and made fun of for their entire school careers, but it didn't seem to show on their faces, like most gay couples he sees around here. Going through cancer wasn't easy, he knows this, and when you need support, you shouldn't be afraid to show it, no matter where you are, and these two were like the poster children for that campaign.

Damien walks back through the large room, finally getting to the chair where Blaine was still passed out in.

"He's ready for his hour break," Damien gives the other boy a smile. The auburn haired boy looks up.

"Do you need him awake?" He asks, his hand grasping Blaine's forearm tightly, as if he really didn't wanna wake him.

"No, he's gonna be fine for another hour. So, I imagine I'm going to be seeing a lot of you?" Damien asks, starting to pull the IV bag down from it's hook.

"Oh, yeah. I'm Kurt," He introduces himself, giving Damien a large grin.

"Nice to meet you, Kurt," He replies, hooking another IV up, but not turning it on to let him have a break. He pulls the tube off Blaine, but leaves the needle in for easier access when he comes back around. "You're his boyfriend?"

Kurt's smile instantly fades. "Yeah, I am," Kurt studies Damien's expression, as if waiting for him to freak out, or say what a weirdo he was.

"That's what I thought. How long have you two been together?" Damien's smile grows at the way Kurt's eyes go wide with shock at his response.

"Uh, it'll be a year next month," Kurt answers, his smile soon returning. You could tell he never got to talk about his relationship, and definitely not with a complete stranger. He looks happy to do it.

"Wow, I could have swore you guys were together for a decade," He jokes, Kurt chuckles lightly, careful not to disturb Blaine, who was still sleeping soundly against his shoulder. "Well, if you guys need anything, you know where to find me. I'll see you in an hour,"

With that Damien gets back to his feet, pulling his cart behind him.

'That was interesting' Kurt scrunches his brow. He was not expecting Damien to take that well, he looked like a guy who would beat him up in high school, but maybe he was wrong. The countertenor turns his head to look down at his sleeping boyfriend. A proud grin reaches his lips and he can't help but place a soft kiss against the top of his gelled head, letting his cheek rest against his hair.

 

-0-

  
The rest of his appointment went by pretty quickly, considering Blaine just slept until it was time for his IV flush. They went and got their green juices next and Blaine admitted it didn't taste as bad as he expected, which made Kurt chant 'I told you so' for a good five minutes on their way to Dalton, while Blaine said it was the poison talking.

"It's Friday, so there's Warbler practice," Blaine announces, checking the time on his phone. '4:02 PM' . They were probably just starting.

"Are you nervous?" Kurt asks, both of his hands on the steering wheel, but still checking between the road and his boyfriend beside him. Blaine shrugs.

"A little, but it's not like they're going to disown me, but I know that Nick is going to cry," Blaine jokes. Kurt laughs, knowing it was true. Nick cried when Kurt left, when Blaine left, when they went to the nursing home to perform for the first time, claiming it was sad to see them like that, and even when they won Nationals Blaine's Freshman year, he cried almost over everything, but he was loved by the Warblers anyway. He didn't full out sob, but there were a few tears that would escape from his eyes. "And if he cries, I'll cry," He adds, a small smile on his face, bouncing his phone against his thigh, as Kurt searched for a parking space.

"They might be mad that I didn't tell them right away," Blaine admits, biting the inside of his cheek nervously. Kurt finally finds a space and sets his Navigator in park, resting the keys in his lap.

"Can't do anything about it now," Kurt shrugs, unbuckling his seat as Blaine does the same.

The school was exactly how they remembered it. High ceilings, fancy light fixtures, leather furniture and wide hallways all the way through, it was the exact opposite compared to McKinley, where you were lucky if you could fit your backpack inside your locker, or take a step without getting bumped in the shoulder, whether that be intentional or not. Finding the Warbler room wasn't hard, but Blaine took a detour anyway, because he wanted to see more of the school again.

He's always loved Dalton, and probably always will. It was the place he went to after being beaten so bad that he was in the hospital for weeks and came here for the last half of his Freshman year. He was safe here, he always was. The people were kind and let him audition for the Warblers and he quickly became their leading man. He excelled at his academics, and instead of being made fun of for it, people smiled and his friends teased him that he was going to have to do their English paper for them and didn't actually force him to do so. It was a different story at Dalton, it was home when home didn't feel like home any longer. He met the love of his life here and it's a place he'll always want to come back to even if he gets old and grey.

The sound of perfect harmonies, snapping fingers, and tapping dress shoes started to get louder, and Blaine couldn't help the grin that grew on his face. God, he missed that.   
"Your sugar, yes please,

Won't you come put it down on me

" _I'm right here, cause I need,_  
 _Little love and little sympathy_  
 _Yeah, you show me good loving,_  
 _Make it alright,_  
 _Need a little sweetness in my life,_ "

'Sebastian's voice,' Blaine thinks to himself, hurrying his steps towards the door. As much as he hated Sebastian, he did have a great voice, and made an amazing replacement for himself. Blaine pushed through the doors, opening them both at the same time, Kurt not far behind him.

" _I want that red velvet,_  
 _I want that sugar sweet,_  
 _Don't let nobody touch it unless that somebody's me,_  
 _I gotta be a man, there ain't no other way,_  
 _Cause girl you're hotter than the Southern California day_ ,"

Blaine's voice is powerful and makes every Warbler who was following the very strict dance routine, turn their head towards the couple. Blaine turned around, grabbing Kurt's hand and leading him in as they joined in vocals.

 _"Don't wanna play no games,_  
 _I don't gotta be afraid,_  
 _Don't give me all that shy shit,_  
 _No make-up on,_  
 _That's my sugar_ ,"

Kurt joins in and Blaine is taking his hands, and twirling him around the room, mindful of the moved furniture.

" _Yes please,_  
 _Won't you come put it down on me_  
 _I'm right here, cause I need,_  
 _Little love and little sympathy_  
 _Yeah, you show me good loving,_  
 _Make it alright,_  
 _Need a little sweetness in my life,_ "

Sebastian picks back up, this time with a large smile on his face, leading the Warblers through the rest of the dance moves, which was basic compared to their other routines.   
By the time they finish the Maroon 5 song, Blaine almost forgot why he was here in the first place, but the itch in his arm from where the needle was stuck in earlier in the day quickly reminded him.

"Warbler Blaine! Warbler Kurt!" Wes exclaims, his arms wide with gestures, and his chest heaving with exhaustion.

"Hey!" Blaine smiles, his breathing heavier than it usually was after a dance number, also considering he didn't even really do the number at all.

"What brings you guys here? Are you spying, because if you are, your disguises are even worse than Kurt's," David teases, a water bottle in hand, taking drinks from it occasionally, and his brow glistening with a thick layer of sweat. Kurt's cheeks turn a light crimson, and he rolls his eyes playfully. The new Warblers were confused by the inside joke, but the ones who were here last year knew exactly what he meant and cracked up a little.

"Wait, Blaine Anderson is wearing a pair of sweats and it's not Sunday? Are you feeling okay? Are you sick?" David's joke made everyone who knew Blaine smile, but Blaine's smile soon faded, looking awkwardly around the room, meeting Sebastian's eye that was already staring at him.  
  
"Blaine, are you sick?" Sebastian says quietly, gripping his water bottle tightly in his hand. Blaine opens his mouth to say something, but he doesn't end up explaining just then.  
"I didn't mean to intrude on your practice," Blaine starts, forcing a small smile on his face that doesn't quite meet his hazel, worried eyes. The guys notice the way Blaine avoided the question and a few of their dopey grins were now gone. "But, I think you guys should sit down," He finishes, giving them a reassuring smile.

With the shuffling of some feet, some sliding of some furniture, and a few coughs to clear their throats, they were all sitting down. Some on the couches, others on the coffee table and a few on the floor or on the arms of the brown leather couches. The couple moves to the front of the room, every pair of eyes staring back them. Blaine nervously moves his hand out, in search for Kurt's. Kurt notices quickly and takes it in his own, giving him a reassuring squeeze. Blaine leans back against the Council's desk along with Kurt and sucks in a heavy breath.

"So, I just got back from my first day of chemotherapy," Blaine announces. The room goes quiet instantly. A few go wide eyed and even more divert their attention from Blaine.

"What do you mean?" Thad was the first one to speak, his brow furrowed with confusion, almost unable to believe what was happening.

"Well, I have cancer," Blaine nods slowly, his face blank and unable to meet Nick's stare, because he knew if he did, he would start crying.

"What kind?" It was Thad again. He never was a jerk or anything, but he was no where near as emotional as Nick or Trent. He was a guy for facts, and he either took them or left them, he didn't dwell over them and tried not to let emotion get in the way of clear thinking.

"Gastric, or stomach cancer, stage three A,"

"How long do you have?" Jon blurts. No one was going to ask, but everyone wanted to know, but as soon as the words came out, David, Wes, Jeff and Trent went berserk.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" David shoots up from his spot on the couch and turn to his fellow Warbler.

"Why would you ask that?" Jeff shouts, no longer trying to console a teary eyed Nick beside him.

"I'm sorry I-" Jon started.

"No! You don't just ask someone when they're dying. What-" Wes was about to go ham on Jon if someone didn't stop him, so Blaine made it his job.

"Guys!" Blaine calls, reaching for Wes's gavel and hitting it a few times against the wood. Everyone snaps their heads back towards Blaine and for once Wes wasn't upset that someone used his gavel. Blaine tried to keep a smile from coming to his face, because he's always wanted to do that. "Calm down. You were all wondering and Jon was just the one to ask. Sit down, Jesus," Blaine rolls his eyes, squeezing Kurt's hand tightly. "I don't know how long I have, but I'm getting treatment. I still have an eighteen percent chance that this is all going to work,"

"Eighteen? That's not even a fifth," Sebastian remarks, scoffing and shaking his head as he did so.

"Shut up, you weasel," Kurt snaps at him, rolling his eyes with anger and turning his upper lip in disgust.

"What did you just call me?" Sebastian shoots up from his seat, pulling his head back, like he's been shot.

"I called you a weasel," Kurt replies, releasing Blaine's hand and standing up straight, jutting one of his hips out and cocking his head to the side, his arms now crossed over his chest.

"Coming from you, look like a grandma who just lost her dentures every time you smile," Sebastian challenges, rolling his eyes at the former Warbler.

"How long did it take for you to come up with that one?"

"As long as it took for you to realize that you have the fashion sense of a toddler going through their mother's closet,"

"You have more dick in your personality than you do in your pants," Kurt remarks, pursing his lips out.

"I get more dick than you can dream of, because I'm ten times better looking than you. I mean your relationship with Blaine is the eighth wonder of the world,"

"Stop calling yourself hot, the only thing you can turn on is a microwave,"

They do this a lot, so this wasn't something new, but interrupting them would be a loss of free amusement, so the Warblers usually let it go on for a few minutes before breaking it. Blaine rolls his eyes, tipping his head back, and staring up at the ceiling, mumbling some about someone helping him through this.

"I find your opinion irrelevant," Sebastian replies, sticking his hands in his khaki pockets.

"Yeah, keep rolling your eyes, maybe you'll find a brain back there," Kurt smirks, one eyebrow raised with challenge.

"Who pissed in your Cheerios?"

"You just said my boyfriend was dying, sorry I'm a bit offended," Kurt replies, shaking his head in disbelief and putting his hands up in fake surrender.

"It's nice to live in a world of ignorance, isn't it?" Sebastian shoots back. Blaine's eyes go wide for second and before Kurt can say something sassy back, or maybe just slap him, Blaine put a hand on his arm, shooting up from his relaxed position against the desk.

"Okay! Why don't you just go for a walk, Sebastian?" Blaine offers, squeezing Kurt's arm and dragging him closer and out of line of fire.

"Why me? Why not your little boyfriend?" Sebastian asks, making hand gestures towards Kurt.

"Ew, you're getting bitterness and jealously all over our happiness, so can you exit stage right please?" Kurt asks, pointing towards the door.

"We'll fill you in, Seb," David replies, patting Sebastian's back, but still pushing him out the door. Sebastian leaves begrudgingly, scoffing as he made his exit to take a lap around the school and hopefully they'll be gone by then.

"You alright?" Blaine asks, trying to hide the hint of a smirk on his lips. Kurt smirks a little.

"I feel great," He says, leaning over to peck Blaine's cheek chastely. Blaine chuckles lightly.

"Yeah, we really didn't miss your guys' PDA," Thad teases, bringing a light blush to the couple's cheeks.

"Anyway, tell us more," Wes says, sticking his hands deep inside his pockets and his face quickly turning serious once more.

"Well, we're doing five cycles of harsh chemo, every other day for five weeks each cycle with a week break between each one. Then another two week break, another three cycles of chemo, every other day then they'll check and see if the tumor is shrinking. If it's not small enough, then we'll do another two cycles of chemo, and hopefully it'll be small enough. If it is, then I will get my stomach removed-"

"What? Your stomach removed?" Jeff pulls his head back with confusion, an arm wrapped around Nick to keep his boyfriend from sobbing uncontrollably.

"Part of it. It'll go from being the size of a large banana to the size of a lemon and I won't be able to eat like I used to, but the cancer will be gone," Blaine replies.

"Then you're done right?"

"No, then I'll have another five weeks of chemo, only instead of every other day, they'll do it like once or twice a week and then after that, I go in for radiation for three weeks everyday to make sure the cancer is gone. Then I get an endoscopy to make sure it's gone and then I'm done," Blaine explains in one breath. He's never said it out loud before. He's texted it to Kurt and heard it from doctors, but actually saying it sounded exhausting and long. It would be around seven and a half months, but that was if everything worked out according to plan, which even his doctors said probably wouldn't happen. His doctors said if it goes well, but not planned, then he'll be back in school for his senior year with Kurt, but he'll still be recovering from chemo and radiation, but he'll be able to graduate on time if he keeps up with school this year. It's been done before.

"That's if everything goes as planned," Kurt adds quickly, squeezing Blaine's hand reassuringly, seeing the look of exhaustion on his face just from saying it all and realizing this would be his life for the next year. In and out of hospitals, needle pokes, countless endoscopes to check on the tumor, puking, fatigue, it was all very real and now it was out on the table for everyone to see.

"Blaine, you'll be alright. You're Warbler Blaine. You led us to a victory at Nationals Freshman year, even though you were only here for three months, you set up that bake sale that raised almost three grand for the nursing home in town. You've helped us beat that preppy Catholic school down the road almost every time. You pushed us out of our boxes and made us sing a song that wasn't top 40's for Regionals. You can beat cancer. We know you can," Trent says, slowly walking over to his friend before laying a hug on him, squeezing him tight. Blaine smiles, hugging Trent back, he always gave the best hugs.

When he was still going to Dalton and had a rough day, he would just come down to the Warbler Common Room and would ask Trent for a hug, because it was his specialty.   
"Thank you, Trent," Blaine says into his shoulder. Trent nods against him, letting him go so Wes can lay one on him as well.

"You guys are amazing," Blaine chuckles, looking around the room once Wes has let go, meeting everyone's eyes, even Nick's, who was trying extremely hard not to start crying. "Don't cry, Nick, otherwise I'll cry," He teases, opening his arms wide for the brunette Warbler. Nick laughs, pushing off the couch and meeting Blaine's arms, hugging him tightly and resting his head against Blaine's shoulder.

"God, you're skinnier than I remember you," Nick laughs.

"Yeah, I guess that's a plus from cancer. Free diet pills," Blaine jokes, letting out another teary eyed laugh, which quickly spread across the room, even Kurt burst out a small laugh.

"So, since Warbler practice is over, how about we go grab a bite to eat? Or maybe a coffee?" Thad offers, checking his wrist watch at the time.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to waste Warbler time. I know that-" Blaine starts to ramble.

"Blaine, you didn't waste Warbler time," Wes replies, patting his back gently. "So, coffee?"

"I can't drink coffee anymore, chemo diet sucks. I can't have a lot of sugar or caffeine," Blaine explains.

"Blaine Anderson can't drink coffee? I'm more worried about seeing you without your daily medium drip," David teases. Blaine chuckles again, knowing that the lack of coffee would catch up with him soon.

"Well, then let's go find a restaurant that can bare us all and let's grab a bite to eat," Wes offers, a grin on his face. Blaine turns to Kurt who shrugs.

"That'd be great," Blaine replies, his smile growing.

"Awesome, Jeff, tell Breadstixs we're coming,"

"Breadstixs? Why would we go to Breadstixs? That's all the way in Lima," Blaine asks, cocking his head to the side and stuffing his hands in his sweats.

"Because we wanna know what you Lima people are talking about," Jeff replies, already slipping his phone from his pocket. Blaine chuckles, looking over to Kurt, his grin growing. He reaches behind him, offering his hand to his boyfriend, who happily takes it, biting his bottom lip, like he always did when he was excited.

"You guys are missing out on some great, over priced, fake Italian food," Kurt jokes.

"Sounds great," David shrugs teasingly, "Will someone go get Seb, he'll be pissed if we don't take him,"

Jon nods, jogging out from the room in search for the small, rat faced Warbler.

"Okay, lead the way," Wes says, making a wide arm gesture towards the door for the couple. Blaine shakes his head playfully but walks out with Kurt at his side and back towards the parking lot.


	3. Chapter Three: It Was Just a Cut

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was with family this past week, so I haven't been able to write, and even though I have a couple chapter already written, I didn't wanna fall too far behind, so enjoy this and PLEASE tell me what you think about! Your comments have been brightening my days and it all means so much to me! Thank you for reading!

Fourth day of chemo and it was Cooper's first time taking Blaine to his appointment. He practically had to beg Blaine to let him take him. Kurt took him again on Sunday and his mother took him on Tuesday, but Blaine wasn't gonna let Kurt miss another day of school for a couple weeks, and his mom had to work and he wasn't about to ask his father to take him. 

He knew his dad loved him, and he knew he wanted Blaine to get through this and survive, but they never had a great relationship, and he didn't love or even like the fact that Blaine was gay. James Anderson was raised in a very conservative and Catholic family, so to have a son that was gay was frowned upon, not only in James's eyes, but with his dad's entire side of the family. 

Just like James though, they loved him, but they didn't like his life "choices". Every time Blaine heard that, he tried hard not to roll his eyes and say something so gay that it would make their heads practically spin off. Like recite the entire script to 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' or quote drag queens from 'RuPaul's Darg Race'.

His dad didn't go to any of the plays he was in or anything that had to do with music, but when he was a Freshman at Dalton and played soccer, his dad never missed a game. He supported his son, but only if it made him look straight. 

Even if his dad didn't like the idea of Blaine being gay, he never said anything snide about him. That was until Kurt came into his life, then it wasn't just about Blaine, but it was about Kurt too, which always sent Blaine over the edge and send them into an argument, which sometimes got heated and Blaine would end up with a dark, red mark on his cheek for the night because he said something that hit too close to home for James.

So, having to spend an entire day with just his father was not apealing at all, no matter how hard his mother tried to convince Blaine that it would be a good bonding experience.  
"Hey, Blaine! How you doing?" Damien was his nurse once again today for the second time, the first time being his first day. Today, his color of scrubs was a dark maroon and his showed off his broad shoulders nicely, you could tell he worked out.

"Damien, hi! Nausea is rough today, but it's nothing some pills and a good mindset can't help. How you doing?" Blaine asks, his smile bright. He quickly learned that if he was shy and didn't talk at all, then his appointment took forever, but if kept an open head, then it was done before he knew it. 

"Better than you," Damien teases, nudging his shoulder gently on their way into the chemo room. This time around, Blaine had a separate room and there were just two chairs on the far wall, with a counter and some cupboards by the door. There was also a TV on the opposite wall of the tan, leather chairs and a couple end tables with wheels to probably put your laptops or any other sort of entertainment on. 

He's had a total of three different nurses and Damien was by far his favorite, one of the other ones was a middle aged woman, who didn't seem too fond of Kurt and Blaine sitting so close to each other and the other was a younger woman, who was seemed to be a bit new, and didn't do a lot of talking and also had to poke Blaine twice because she couldn't find a vein. When Damien talked to them, and seemed to like them and the feeling was mutual, so he was much easier to do chemotherapy with. 

"Okay, so today we're doing the Capecitabine again as the first round, but then after the forty-five minute break, we'll give you a round of Docetaxel instead of the Cisplatin. The Docetaxel is a bit stronger and will give you a bit more nausea than the Cisplatin and will take another half hour, but it'll be worth it. You're staying hydrated, right? Drinking a lot of water?" Damien asks as Blaine takes a seat, setting his left arm up on the side of the chair.

"Yeah, after feeling a little sick on Friday, I started bringing a water bottle with me," Blaine replies, pointing at the dark green water bottle now sitting on the movable table.  
"Awesome, because that medication you're on takes a toll on your kidneys, and if you're dehydrated, it can fail your kidneys, that's why we give you such a high dosage of IV flush at the end of the day. You should be urinating roughly every hour or so," He explains, already putting on his gloves that were sitting on the cart shelf. Blaine nods, absorbing the information and hoping he can remember it by the time he's done, because usually chemo wipes him out and he barely even remembers anything after he takes almost a four hour nap when he gets home. It all quickly turns into mush by the time he goes to bed.

After dinner with the Warblers on Friday, he started to feel sick, and Kurt could tell by his flushed skin color that it was because he was dehydrated and he instantly made him drink a few glasses of water before they continued with their 'Friends' binge watching session. 

"I suggest you get something from the snack cart when it comes in today, because the Docetaxel can make you feel a bit more sick and sometimes eating a half of a sandwich or a bag of chips can help a little, just don't eat too much because that can also make it worse. Or you can also try getting a ginger ale and that can sometimes settle your stomach too. Also, now that we're getting farther into your treatment, you're going to have to start being careful when you prepare food or shave or anything like that, because now your platelets are going down at a rapid pace because chemo goes after quickly dividing cells, and those are some of the first to go, so if you cut yourself, even the smallest cut can give you stitches because it's just going to keep bleeding, so take your time when you cut things and shave your face and be careful with paper cuts because even those will bleed worse than usual," Damien advises, hooking one of the needles up to and IV bag and hanging it on the stand. 

Cooper was also absorbing information, but he was still sitting awkwardly beside Blaine, not really knowing what to do anymore. He got Blaine here like he was suppose to and waited with him in the waiting room and now he was just sitting there beside him, trying to pay attention to any information given.

"Damien, this is my brother, Cooper," Blaine says, noticing how uncomfortable his brother looked by being there.

"Hi, Cooper. I'm Damien, nice to meet you," Damien gives Cooper a smirk that should be award winning. He really did have a nice set of pearly whites and it was an excellent contrast to his slightly tanned skin. 

"Hi," Cooper returns his own smirk that was very similar to the nurse's. 

"Alright, you ready for the poke?" Damien asks, uncapping the needle and getting it ready against Blaine's arm.

"Yeah, go ahead," Blaine replies, relaxing his arm as he waited for it. It quickly went in and Blaine started to relax again. Damien held it on with some medical tape and pushed the IV stand out of the way, along with his cart. 

"Okay, if you need anything, you know where to find me," He says, getting up from the backless stool and wheeling it out of the way as well. "I'll be back in an hour or so to check on you," 

"Alright, thank you," Blaine calls after him, as he leaves the room and heads back down the hallway. Every time he came in here, the process got faster. It was no longer a nurse explaining to him what was going to happen over the course of the day and instead he got a poke and sat the rest of the time and occasionally his nurse would come back in and check on him, but not give him a lesson. "You okay, Cooper?" 

Cooper snaps his head from the IV and looks back up at his brother nervously.

"Does it hurt?" 

"No, it doesn't hurt. It feels like an IV," Blaine shrugs casually.

"It just looks painful," Cooper replies, his eyebrows raised just thinking about having it stuck in his own arm for hours at a time every other day for six weeks.

"It gets easier every time I come in here," Blaine adds, reaching for his water bottle and taking a long drink. Cooper almost cringes at the words. He didn't want Blaine to get used to it. He wanted it to stop and then take him home, not this. 

"Yeah," He says quietly, looking down at his hands. "Well, I have an audition next week," He clears his throat, trying desperately to change the subject. Blaine could tell what he was doing, so he bought into it.

"Audition?"

"Yeah, it's in Columbus, if I'm gonna stay here for awhile, I'm not going to live off of Mom and Dad, I need my own money," 

"You're serious about this," It wasn't a question, it was more of a statement and as much as Blaine wanted to believe that he was staying, something told him not to get too comfortable with the idea of Cooper sticking around through his entire cancer journey.

"Yeah," Cooper sucks in a heavy breath, leaning back in his chair. "You wanna rehearse with me?" He raises one eyebrow. "It's for another commercial,"

"Yeah, of course," Blaine nods slowly, opening his hand for the script. "You know, I've done a couple plays myself, I think I can handle it,"

 

This was one of the roughest rounds of chemo. He felt okay during the process, but he was still exhausted and was so relieved when he could start his his IV flush and go home, but now on their way home, Blaine cringed at every bump, sudden stop and every curve. 

"Are you alright, Blaine?" Cooper asks, glancing from the road to his brother, who had his eyes closed, but was still awake, and leaning his head against the window, his hand gripping the safety bar, and clutching his water bottle between his legs.

"Yeah, just nauseous," Blaine replies, swallowing thickly, still not bothering to open his eyes.

"I didn't know my driving was that bad," Cooper tries to joke, but Blaine didn't even crack a smile, he just takes a deep breath, and tries to steady himself. "Put your head between your knees," 

"What?" Blaine opens his eyes, turning his head towards his older brother.

"Put your head between your knees, it helps with the nausea," Cooper replies. "I used to do when we'd take long car rides and I'd get sick, just do it," Cooper nods towards Blaine's lap. "It works," 

Blaine gives him a strange look, but moves his water bottle from his lap and sets his head between his knees, shutting his eyes once more and taking steady breaths. He may look stupid, but he was willing to try anything to get rid of his upset stomach.

"We're almost home. Probably another forty-five minutes," Cooper announces, putting a reassuring hand on his little brother's back and rubbing gently.

He stays like that for another few minutes before he finally says something. 

"Cooper, pull over," He's trying not to scream just yet and focusing on not throwing up in Cooper's car, all over his leather seats.

"What? I can't hear you," Cooper says worriedly, quickly looking from the road to his brother.

"Pull over!" Blaine says much louder, sitting back up, already unbuckling his seat belt.

"Blaine, I'm on the highway, I can't just-"

"Cooper, if you don't pull over I will puke all over your car," Blaine warns, covering his mouth his hand, and his hand hovering over the door handle. Cooper nods frantically, trying as fast he can to get over to the edge of the road. 

Blaine's already throwing open the door before the car comes to a complete stop, almost getting caught in his seat belt. He practically trips over his feet and throws up what little food he's eaten that day all over the dead grass beside the pavement. He lets out a deep breath, trying to steady himself, but he's already throwing up again before he can. 

It takes a few seconds for Cooper to understand what was happening, but once he does, he's out of the car and coming around to check on his brother. 

"Blaine, are you alright?" He knows it's a stupid question, but he doesn't know what else to say. Blaine slowly shakes his head, putting up a finger for him to wait a second. Hot tears are rushing down his cheeks and the taste of bile is very clear in his mouth. He closes his eyes, feeling like he's finally calmed down, but before he knows it, he's throwing up again. 

"Jesus," Blaine whispers, swallowing thickly, and wiping at his mouth with the sleeve of his baggy, long sleeve shirt and resting his hands on his knees. He waits a few more minutes before he can safely say he's finished and reserved to just dry retching. 

"Can you grab my water bottle, please?" Blaine asks, squatting down in the grass and trying to recollect himself, a wave of dizziness washing over him. Cooper is quickly rushing to the open, passenger door and grabbing the dark green bottle from the cup holder and handing it over to Blaine. Blaine pops it open, taking a long chug after wiping his mouth once more. 

"I have some mints if you want some," His brother offers, rushing back to the car and searching through the center console. He comes back a few minutes later to see Blaine now sitting on the pavement by the rear tire, drinking casually from his water. Cooper kneels down beside him, handing him a couple of the winter green mints.

"Thanks," Blaine sniffles, popping them in his mouth, and sucking gingerly. "That Docetaxel really does make you feel more sick," Blaine says dryly, wiping at his eyes carefully. "Just give me a few more minutes, and I should be ready to go," He promises, taking another sip of his water, trying to get rid of the horrible taste of bile in his mouth. His eyes were already starting to droop with exhaustion.

"Don't worry about it, Blainey," Cooper says, patting his knee gently. Blaine doesn't say anything, he just takes a few deep breaths and sucks on his mints, waiting to make sure the nausea is gone before he continues home. 

It wasn't only a few minutes before they kept going, it was another ten, but Cooper didn't mind waiting for him. 

He drove a bit slower the rest of the way there, and tried his best to avoid any bumps in the road, trying not to upset his brother's stomach again. Instead of taking forty minutes to get home, it took an hour, but the idea having to stop again to throw up what little food was left in Blaine's stomach wasn't appealing.

When they did get home, Blaine didn't bother saying anything to Cooper and just hiked up the stairs, tossing his soiled shirt on the floor and toeing his navy blue Tom's off, crawling in bed and snuggling against the covers, only moving to grab his phone from his pocket and dial Kurt's number. It was around four thirty, so he was probably at the garage because it was Thursday, but he knew Burt wouldn't mind. After three rings he picked up.

"Hey, B. How was chemo today?" His voice is light and fluffy, which already brought a small smile to Blaine's face.

"It was alright, but are you busy right now?" Blaine sniffles, snuggling deeper into the blankets.

"No, why? Are you alright?" Kurt notices the way Blaine's voice is almost an entire octave deeper and his voice was thick and slurred.

"I don't feel well. Can you come over and snuggle with me? Cooper and I just got home," 

"Yeah, of course. Give me an hour and I'll be right there, okay?" He promises, his voice quickly turning to a one similar to his mother's voice whenever he came home from school sick. 

"Yeah, I love you,"

"I love you too. Sit tight, Honey. I'm on my way," With that Kurt hangs up and Blaine sets his phone on his bedside table, nuzzling his nose against his pillow, waiting for Kurt to come through his bedroom door. 

It wasn't until around six that his door opened to reveal Kurt, still wearing his work clothes. Blaine's eyes slowly open once more and he gives Kurt a weak smile.

"Hey, baby. Did I wake you?" Kurt asks softly, kneeling down in front of Blaine and brushing hair from his forehead with his fingertips.

"No, I was waiting for you," Blaine says tiredly. Kurt chuckles lightly, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. "Lay with me," It wasn't a question, it was more of an offer to get in bed with him because he could use some boyfriend cuddle.

"Blaine, what about your parents?" Kurt asks worriedly, glancing back to the half shut door.

"They'll be fine. Please, I miss you," Blaine begs, jutting out his bottom lip and giving Kurt the best puppy dog face he can muster up at the moment. Kurt playfully rolls his eyes, but stands up anyway, kicking off his shoes and crawling in behind Blaine, pulling the covers over them. Kurt wraps an arm under Blaine's letting his hand rest over his heart, and press his lips against his bare shoulder. Blaine smiles with victory, holding Kurt's hand that was wrapped around him and pressing his lips against his porcelain skin. 

"Cooper had to pull over on the way home and I puked on the side of the highway," Blaine chuckles lightly at the memory. Kurt smiles gently, scrunching his nose up in disgust.  
"Gross," Kurt chuckles, pulling his head up to brushing hair from Blaine's face, knowing it always calmed him down and put him to sleep. You could tell the chemo was starting to take its toll because he didn't bother put any gel in this morning, which was very out of character for Blaine. 

"I know. It was disgusting. It took the entire ride for the taste to go away," 

"Ew. Remind me not to kiss you until I witness you brushing your teeth," He teases as Blaine rolls over on his back, allowing Kurt to get a proper look at him. He was obviously pale and his eyes were barely staying open, but he still has a small smile on his face. After a few seconds, he puckers his lips up for a kiss anyway. 

"No, I'm not kissing you," Kurt laughs, his head being held up by his hand against the pillows.

"Oh come on. I deserve a kiss," Blaine teases, trying to fight laughter, his lips still awaiting to meet Kurt's. Kurt playfully rolls his eyes, and instead of kiss his lips, he kisses the apple of his cheek, making it longer than it needed to be and exaggerated. Blaine giggles quietly once Kurt detaches his lips and wipes at the mark left on his skin. 

"Good enough," Blaine chuckles, rolling on his side, so he's facing Kurt and snuggling into his chest before continuing.

"Damien said hello," Blaine announces, trying to keep his eyes open for a little bit longer, nuzzling his nose against Kurt's 'Hummel Tire and Lube' t-shirt.

"I really like him," Kurt says fondly, remembering the short conversation they had together on the first day of Blaine's therapy and rubbing his thumb across Blaine's shoulder blade.

"Me too," Blaine yawns, his eyes drooping shut. "Will you take a nap with me?"

"Blaine-"

"My parents won't mind, please?" 

The countertenor scrunches his face, as if deciding what to do, but when Blaine pressed a soft kiss to his collar bone and hummed against it, he agreed.

"You are so lucky I love you," Kurt playfully rolls his eyes, sinking down against the bed and wrapping his arm tighter around Blaine.

"Yay!" Blaine smiles, pulling the blankets further up and snuggling closer against his boyfriend's chest.

 

-0-

 

"I think I'm doing this wrong," Blaine laughs, "These tomatoes do not look like the picture," He adds, cocking his head to the side, studying the photo pulled up on Kurt's phone.  
Blaine finished his first seven days of chemo so Kurt and him were having a movie night together to celebrate, because even Carole had told them before that with cancer, it was nice to celebrate the small things, so that's what they were doing. Kurt moves from the stove, where a pan full of chicken was frying and looked over Blaine's shoulder at the tomatoes that were cut at odd angles and odd shapes sitting on the cutting board. Kurt tries to bite back a laugh. 

"You're doing great, babe," Kurt bites his lips in an attempt to keep the giggles at bay. Blaine playfully rolls his eyes, nudging Kurt's shoulder. "What?" Kurt chuckles.

"Don't 'What' me, mister," Blaine laughs again, shaking his head and going back to his horribly cut tomatoes. Kurt just smiles, pressing a soft kiss to Blaine's cheek. 

"I love you anyway," Kurt smirks, pecking his cheek a few more times.

"I love you too," Blaine responds, turning his head for a second to plant a real kiss on Kurt's awaiting lips. Kurt raises one hand, running his thumb across his jawline and petting his fingers down the back of Blaine's neck, already feeling a few bald spots hidden under the long wisps of hair that was ungelled once again today. Blaine's smile quickly fades. "I know it's falling out, but I really don't wanna shave it off," He admits quietly, turning his gaze back towards the cutting board.

"It's fine for now, but it'll start coming out in a lot bigger chunks, but we can wait until then if you want to," Kurt replies softly, still rubbing at the back of his neck carefully. Blaine nods slowly.

"Okay," 

Kurt's small, reassuring smile returns and he plants yet another kiss on Blaine's forehead. 

"Now, finish those tomatoes, so we can eat," Kurt teases, patting Blaine's ass playfully on his way back over to the stove to check on the sizzling chicken pieces. 

With the tomato juice on his fingers, cutting board, and knife edge, it made it easy to slip, and Blaine being the clumsy person he was, did slip and dropped the knife quickly, as soon as the knife cut a long the tip of his pointer finger, it hitting the counter with a clatter. Kurt whips around to see Blaine holding his finger, trying to stop the bleeding that was already starting to cover his skin. 

"Oh my god," Kurt thinks fast, grabbing the kitchen towel from beside the sink and wraps Blaine's finger in it. Blaine hisses harshly at first contact, watching the white towel quickly turn a dark shade of red where the tip was. "Oh my god," Kurt repeats, holding Blaine's wrist, but not knowing what to do. He's never seen a simple cut bleed this much.

"My platelets," Blaine's breathing is heavy like he was about to have a panic attack and tears were already starting to gather in his eyes.

"What?" Kurt looks up to his boyfriend with a worried and frantic look on his face. 

"My platelets, they're low from chemo, minor cuts will bleed like hell," Blaine recites Damien's speech from last week, trying to take deep breaths to steady himself. 

"Blaine, this is bleeding insanely fast, you need a hospital," Kurt says, watching the towel get more and more red with each passing second.

"No! I'm-I'm fine. It's-It's just a cut," Blaine stutters, tears rushing down his face at this point. 

"Blaine-"  
"Kurt, please don't make me go to a hospital," Blaine begs, looking up to Kurt, his eyes full of panic. Kurt sighs heavily and against better judgement, agreed not to take him.

"Let me at least get Carole, she can look at it," Kurt compromises, fleeing from the kitchen and calling up the stairs, leaving Blaine alone. "Carole! Help! Please!" Kurt shouts at the top of his lungs, tears starting to blur his vision. 

"Coming!" Carole calls back, her voice just as panicked as Kurt's. The countertenor runs back into the kitchen to see Blaine sitting in one of the dining chairs, holding his hand in his lap, the towel now almost completely full of blood.

"I-I was getting dizzy. Kurt, I don't know what to do," Blaine says, his hazel eyes, that were just filled with humor and happiness were now panicked, scared, and full of tears.

"Hey, it's okay. Carole will look at it. She'll tell us what to do," Kurt says, kneeling in front of him, and wiping the rapidly falling tears from his cheeks. Blaine nods quickly, pressing his forehead against Kurt's and looking down at the towel filling with his blood. 

Within a minute, Carole and Burt are both rushing down the stairs and bursting into the kitchen, Finn not far behind them.

"Oh my god," Finn looks around and notices the blood on the cutting board and knife, and the blood coming from Blaine's finger. He had heard Kurt call for his mother, and something told him that he should go see what happened, someone was probably hurt and he was right.

"Kurt, what happened?" Carole asks, quickly kneeling beside the pair and taking Blaine's hand into her own. 

"He accidentally cut himself and now he's bleeding really bad and I don't know what to do. What do I do?" Kurt rambles, running a nervous hand through his hair, probably getting a little blood in his coif, but he didn't care at all at the moment. 

"Hey, you did what you should of done," Burt comforts, patting his shoulder gently. Kurt nods, swallowing thickly, his shaking hand, remaining on his forehead.

"Honey, we need to take you to a hospital, you're bleeding insanely fast. You need to get some stitches," Carole announces, looking at the cut across Blaine's forefinger. 

"No, I'm fine. I don't need stitches. I just need a band-aid or-or-" 

"Son, you need a hospital, come on we'll drive you," Burt offers, motioning for the front door.

"No, I'm so sick of hospitals. I'll be fine," Blaine repsonds, tears falling faster down his reddening and swollen cheeks. "Please don't take me to another hospital,"

"Blaine, I know you're sick of them, but if you don't go to a hospital, you'll lose a ton of blood, and you'll be in there for a lot longer than a few hours. This isn't something that's just going to stop bleeding on it's own and a band-aid isn't going to fix it, so come on, Darling," Carole explains, getting back to her feet and helping him up. Blaine blinks quickly a few times. "Kurt, can you grab the keys and anything Blaine will need for insurance," 

"My-my wallet, it's in my bag," Blaine says quietly as Carole leads him out of the kitchen and into the living room. Kurt nods frantically, grabbing the keys from the hook outside the door and tossing them to his father before running up the steps and into his bedroom where he knew Blaine's bag would be. He rifles through it, trying to find the old, worn, black leather wallet. Finally, he finds it in the front pocket and hurries back down the steps.

"Finn, watch the house, we'll be back," Burt says, following Carole and Blaine who were already out of the house and probably in the car. Kurt and his father are right behind them, Kurt's sliding in the backseat with his boyfriend, while Carole rides in the passenger seat.

"Keep pressure on it, Kurt," Carole orders. Kurt nods, wrapping an arm around Blaine, allowing him to rest his head against his chest and using his other hand to hold Blaine's finger tightly in the kitchen towel. Burt rushes from the house, getting in the driver's seat and pulling out from the house, barely remembering to even look for cars before he pulled out into the road. 

Blaine was sobbing loudly in Kurt's arms, but Kurt knew it wasn't from the pain in his finger, but from fear and anxiety, he was close to having a panic attack.

"You're alright, baby. You're gonna be just fine," Kurt soothes, pressing a soft kiss to his hair. "Shh," He coos, running his hand up and down Blaine's back carefully. 

Things were moving so fast and Kurt could barely keep up. Before he knew it they were pulled up to the ER door and by the time Blaine was walking through the doors with Carole's help, the entire kitchen towel was a dark red and it was practically dripping with Blaine's blood. 

Blaine was quickly being taken back into one of the rooms with Carole following closely behind.

"Kurt, we should call Blaine's parents," Burt says once Blaine is out of sight. Kurt tears his gaze away and meets his father's look. 

"Yeah, I-yeah," Kurt nods slowly, starting to pull out his phone from his pocket. That's when he realizes his hand was drenched in blood. There was no doubt that it was from holding Blaine's finger the whole way here. He swallows.

"Do you have them in your contacts?" His dad asks, taking the phone from Kurt's grasp.

"Yeah," Kurt repeats, wiping at his eyes with his sleeve with shaking hands.

"Okay, I'll call them. Why don't you go get cleaned up?" Burt offers, already looking through Kurt's contact list. Kurt nods slowly, taking a steadying breath before heading for the men's bathroom down the hall.

It was empty when he went in, besides an elder man drying his hands on a piece of paper towel, already on his way out the door and eyeing Kurt's bloodied hand carefully. Kurt of course didn't notice his odd stare and instead just headed for the sink, switching on the hot water. He looks up at his reflection and for once didn't care that he looked horrible.   
His hair was completely ruined and his clothes were incredibly wrinkled, his cheeks were red and swollen just like his eyes were from crying. His bottom lip was trembling and his nose was a bright red. His cardigan even had a couple drops of blood on the sleeve and a few buttons. He quickly rips the piece of clothing off and sticks his hands under the steaming water, getting a dollop of soap and rubbing the dark stain from his skin. He tried hard not to cry, but he did. He was bawling, not because Blaine cut his finger and needed stitches, but why he cut his finger so bad, because of the chemo. 

It was always because of the chemo at this point. He was throwing up, not eating, not sleeping, or sleeping all the time, losing his hair, and now bleeding and it was all because of chemo. It was all chemo because Blaine had cancer. It still felt weird on his tongue and in his head. It still seemed unreal, but going to more than a few chemo appointments, rubbing his back while he threw up, watching him push away almost a full plate of food, even if it was his favorite, seeing him falling asleep practically on every surface he was standing or sitting at for a short period of time, and now seeing this was all very real. 

He lets out a choked sob. His skin was red again, but this time it was from rubbing so hard against his skin and not from blood. He switches off the running water and covers his face with his elbow, trying to choke the sobs back, but it wasn't working. He bends forward, leaning his head against the cool surface of the sink and gripping at the edge of the counter until his knuckles turned white, still crying harshly and his body wracking painfully with tears. 

Why him? Why not someone that had lived life to the fullest, or didn't deserve to live life to the fullest? Why Blaine? Why his Blaine? Why the man who was the closest thing to perfect as anyone could even dream of being? Why did it have to be the one person Kurt wanted to spend forever with? It wasn't fair. It was stupid and he hated the universe, and Blaine's dead grandfather for it. Who else did he have to blame? He hated it, he hated everything about it and he hated himself for crying about it, when he himself was perfectly healthy. 

He takes a few ragged breaths before standing up straight once again, wiping at his eyes harshly, trying to rid his face of its moisture. He grabs a paper towel from the dispenser and wipes at his nose and face as best he could before tossing it in the trash. Kurt smooths his now clean hands over his clothes one more time.

"You can do this," He whispers to his reflection, grabbing his cardigan from the counter and leaving the bathroom to wait with his father. 

"You did this!" Mr. Anderson's voice was the first thing Kurt heard as soon as he stepped from the bathroom. 

"What? I-" Kurt takes a few steps back from him. Mr. Anderson was rushing towards him, his eyes full of hate and anger, and alcohol?

"Don't pretend! Blaine's in here because you can't even do the simple task of watching after him! I knew that your kind was like this!" His voice was rising at an alarming rate and starting to grab the attention of people waiting.

"What is his 'kind'?" Burt asks, pulling on Mr. Anderson's shoulder, so he was facing him instead of attacking his already hurting son. 

"Gay!" James rolls his eyes at the mechanic like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Your son is gay too!"

"No, this is a phase. He's confused and sick," 

"Sick with cancer or homosexuality?" Burt asks, his gaze challenging Mr. Anderson.

"I give you the responsibility of looking after my son for a few hours and he ends up in a hospital. This will be the third time since he's met your son," He scowls, ignoring Burt's remark. 

"Are you saying that Blaine having cancer is Kurt's fault?" Burt's mouth practically drops to the floor with shock. James doesn't say anything though, he just crosses his arms over his chest and cocks his head, as if not saying he was wrong. "I didn't expect a lot from you, but this just blows my mind," 

"Doesn't take much to blow your mind. You are a mechanic in Lima," James says, his upper lip turning in disgust towards the man in front of him. Burt goes to say something, but Kurt was finally snapped back into reality and stopped him.

"Dad, it's fine. Let's just wait for Blaine, please," Kurt begs quietly. 

"You're not waiting for Blaine. You don't belong here. It's not good for him to be around people like you. I have kept my mouth shut for a long time and-"

"Then keep it shut for a little while longer," Cooper's voice and footsteps are soon filling the waiting room, out of breath from his run from the parking lot. His mother's heels were clicking close behind him.

"What are you doing here? I told you guys I could handle this," James spats at his son, eyeing his mother from behind Cooper.

"Yeah, you seem to be handling it real well. Getting into a fight with the Hummels is just great," Cooper rolls his eyes.

"God, you're just like your brother," James scoffs.

"Good, then I did something right, raising him," Cooper replies, crossing his arms over his chest, trying to egg his dad on. He was sick of staying silent for so many years. He always just took it and so did Blaine, but Blaine was getting too weak to do so, and Kurt sure as hell didn't deserve to be screamed at.

"You didn't raise anyone. You left for L.A. like a scared child, because you got rejected for a few auditions, pathetic. At least Blaine's not a quitter," 

"I ran from Ohio, because I didn't like taking hit after hit for Blaine before you went to rehab. I left because I was sick of hearing mom late at night telling you 'no', but you kept going because you were drunk off your ass. I was sick of coming home to you saying those snide remarks about my little brother like 'a little fag'. I ran because I was tired of coming home from school to see you either sleeping a hangover off on the couch, or already so drunk you could barely pour yourself another glass of scotch," Cooper's words are filled with venom and all the pent up anger he's had for his dad for the past twenty some years of his life. 

"You ran because you were coward," James's voice is low and practically a growl as he steps towards his son. 

"You're drunk now," Cooper remarks, smelling the strong smell of scotch and whiskey on his breath. "Couldn't even keep clean for your son, who has cancer and is fighting everyday for his life. You're pathetic, not me," 

"Shut up," James whispers, squinting his eyes with anger, his jaw and fists at his side clenched tightly. Kurt takes in a shaky breath, and Burt started to lead Kurt away to one of the waiting chairs when James stopped him. 

"Can't handle a little life, Kurt? The way Blaine goes on about you, you'd think you could handle a little family fight, but you're just as weak as Cooper here," 

He could take it any other day, but not today. He could barely handle himself today, let alone someone to call him every hurtful name in the book. Kurt's eyes go wide, and Burt was already starting for James once more, ready to throw the first punch, but a small voice from behind them is what made everyone stop.

"Dad, please, just stop," Blaine was walking out from down the hall, with Carole beside him, his face red from crying and his dark grey hoodie now having a few blood spots on it, but his finger was now banadged well and taken care of. "Just call a cab and go home, please," Blaine begs, swallowing thickly, looking around the waiting room, so he wouldn't have to meet his father's gaze as he told him off. 

"Blaine," Kurt was already starting for him. Blaine's shoulders relax as soon as Kurt is cupping Blaine's face and he's safe in his boyfriend's arms.

"Are you okay?" Blaine asks, resting his good hand loosely on Kurt's waist. 

"Me? The last time I saw you, you were bleeding enough to shoot a horror movie," Kurt chuckles, his laugh wet with tears. Blaine smiles a little, already feeling a bit dazed from the pain pills they put him on just under an hour ago. James scoffs loudly, but the couple ignores him. "How you feeling?"

"Better, but they wanna push my chemo back a few days for me to recover. Instead of starting again on Saturday, then wanna wait until Tuesday," Blaine says, his weak smile falling at the reminder that things are being pushed back once more.

"Hey, that's good. They're giving you time to heal. It's only a couple days, Baby,"

"It's just that it pushes everything back one more step," 

"It's better to push it back than being pushed forward too fast and falling down, okay?" 

Blaine nods again, closing the space between them, and wrapping his arms around Kurt's waist, trying to steady his breathing. 

"Shh, you're alright," Kurt sniffles, petting down Blaine's hair, trying not to pull to hard, knowing he would pull out hair if he did. 

"James, why don't we leave? I'll drive you home and then Blaine can go back to the Hummel's for the night," Pam offers, putting a hand on her husband's shoulder.

"No, I'm not letting him stay with him for an entire night," James responds, glaring with disgust towards Kurt. Blaine's grip tightens around his waist, holding him closer.

"Honey, we've done it before, now let's go," Pam tries again. 

"I don't care! Blaine, come on!" James says pulling on Blaine's shoulder.

"James-" 

"Mom, it's fine." Blaine says softly, wiping at his eyes and finally pulling away from Kurt's safe grasp.

"Blaine, you don't have to go if you don't want to," Burt says, eyeing James carefully. 

"Thank you, Burt, for taking me here and everything, but it's easier just to go home. He'll sober up by tomorrow. I'll be fine," Blaine promises, giving Burt a reassuring smile, trying to calm him down. He was too tired to deal with his father, and hearing he was drunk again was not settling, but he just wanted this night to be over with already. Burt goes to say something, but nods his head, shutting his mouth once more. "I'll call you tonight, okay?" Blaine promises Kurt. By now, Pam has somehow started to lead James out from the hospital and into the parking lot.

"Okay, I love you," Kurt says, cupping Blaine's face in his palms once more, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to his forehead.

"I love you too," Blaine gives him a genuine smile before turning to Carole. "Thank you," Blaine just reaches over, hugging her tightly.

"Honey, you never have to thank me. You're family," Carole says, rubbing his back tenderly. Blaine smiles brightly at that, squeezing her one last time before going to Burt. 

"Thank you so much Burt. For everything," Blaine says, his eyes already drooping more with exhaustion and from the medication.

"Blaine, like Carole said you're family. You know I'd do just about anything for you, just like I would Finn and Kurt," Burt smirks, pulling on Blaine's shoulder to bring him in for a hug. "If you ever need anything, Blaine, you know our number. No matter what it is, we'll do it, okay? Stay strong, son," Burt says just loud enough for Blaine to hear. At those words, Blaine lets out a broken sob, clinging tightly to Burt. "You're alright, bud," Burt comforts, patting his back gently. Blaine swallows the lump in his throat and lets go. "We love you, Blaine," 

"I love you guys too," Blaine smiles, but the tears are still falling down his cheeks. Kurt sucks in a deep breath to keep himself from crying again. Blaine's eyes flicker over to him and he opens his arms for his boyfriend once more. Kurt runs into them, hugging Blaine tightly. 

"I love you, so much, Blaine. Please promise you'll call me and text me tonight and-and-" Kurt rambles.

"I'll be fine, Kurt, but I will, I'll do all the above," Blaine smiles, placing a firm kiss to his thin lips. Kurt sniffles once they release and he runs his thumb across Blaine's cheeks gently.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay? I'll stop by or something," 

"Okay," Blaine pecks Kurt's lips one more time before Cooper drapes an arm around his shoulders.

"Thank you guys for taking care of him. He's clumsy as hell," Cooper jokes, smirking down at his brother. Blaine chuckles lightly, shaking his head playfully and wrapping an arm around Cooper. 

"Not a problem," Burt smiles patting Cooper on the shoulder. Cooper gives them one last firm nod before following their parents out the door and into the parking lot. 

 

The ride home was silent. No one was saying a word because they didn't know what to say after a night like this. The radio wasn't on, and for once, Kurt wasn't complaining because he knew he'd be complaining if there was any noise. The only thing to be heard the entire ride home from the hospital was the sound of the tires hitting every bump and the sound of the loose change jingling in the cupholder when Burt hit any pot holes. 

The ride felt like it was hours long to Kurt, when in fact, it was less than a twenty minute drive. The only thing he could think about was crawling in bed and just bawling until he had enough tears to fill the neighbor's pool. 

Kurt was the first one out of the car, his parents moving sluggishly behind him. Finn was waiting on the couch when he walked in. The TV was on playing some sort of football game, but Finn was sitting forward with his hands on his knees and his hands rubbing together, which was a bad habit he did when he was nervous. At the sound of the door opening, Finn was instantly on his feet. 

"Where's Blaine?" He asks, noting the tears that have stained Kurt's cheeks. Kurt shakes his head, not really knowing how to explain what happened tonight, but Finn took it wrong and his eyes went as wide as saucer. "He died? It was just a tiny cut!"

"No, Finn. He went home," Kurt replies, toeing off his shoes, not bothering to put them nicely with the others, which was something he always got after Finn for.

"Oh." Finn hangs his head down, his shoulders relaxing. "Are you okay?" He asks sheepishly, noting Kurt's tired frame.

"Yeah, I-" He pauses to run his hands through his hair and sigh heavily. "Yeah, I'm just tired. It's been a weird day," Kurt gives his brother a half smile and started up the stairs just as Burt and Carole were coming in. 

Finn watched him go up and almost went after him, but he didn't know if that was the right thing to do or not. 

"Did Kurt go upstairs?" Carole asks, hanging up her jacket beside the door and taking Burt's next. 

"Yeah, he seemed upset," Finn wasn't the smartest guy in the world, but he could tell that something was bothering Kurt and it was more than just today that had upset him.

"I'll go check on him," His mother replies, already on the second step.

"No!" Finn calls, putting his hand up to stop her. Carole turns around towards her son and Burt looked at him strangely. "I can do it," He offers, quickly feeling shy. 

"Are you sure?" 

"Yeah. He talks to me all the time," Finn shrugs casually. It wasn't a complete lie, but he definitely wasn't the first person Kurt would come to when he had a problem. Carole glances over to Burt who shrugged his shoulders.

"Okay, Honey," Carole nods, stepping down from the first step and putting her hands on her hips. Finn gives her a reassuring smile and hiked up the stairs.

Ever since he was told Blaine had cancer, he wanted to do anything to help, but he really wasn't the best person when it came to medical things and he didn't wanna say the wrong thing or upset Blaine or his family in any way. He couldn't cuddle him like Kurt could, or give medical advice like his mom, offer everything like Burt, take him to chemo like Blaine's own mother, and he definitely couldn't fly across the country like Cooper had. He felt pretty useless. He didn't have an amazing relationship with Blaine, but they were still friends, but he didn't know where to draw the line and what was okay and what wasn't, but he sure as hell would do his best and try and comfort Kurt as best as he could. He was his little brother after all. 

When he reached the top stair, he heard a few sobs come from Kurt's room. His door was mostly closed, but a sliver of light shined through and into the hallway. Finn braced himself, taking in a deep breath to prepare himself before opening the door the rest of the way. Kurt was sitting on the side of his bed, his head hanging down and tears falling into his lap and onto his designer jeans. 

Finn cleared his throat loudly so Kurt knew he was here. Kurt popped his head up and quickly started wiping at his red cheeks and rolled his eyes.

"God, don't you knock?" He snaps, sniffling to get himself under control once more. Finn started to back away again, but Kurt stopped him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you, it's just- it's been a weird night," He explains his voice thick with unshed tears.

"It's cool," Finn says quietly, taking slow steps towards his bed, but hovering awkwardly over him, his hands stuck in his back pockets. 

"You can sit down, you know? You won't break the bed springs," Kurt teases, motioning to the empty bed spread beside him. 

"Oh, yeah," Finn nods, sitting beside his brother, but not saying anything. 

What was he suppose to say? He didn't even know what was wrong. That was probably a good place to start.

"What's wrong?" 

"What's wrong? What isn't wrong? It would be a shorter list," Kurt huffs, mumbling the last part under his breath, but Finn heard it. The taller teen bobs his head slowly. Kurt was still wiping gingerly at his face, so Finn reached over him and grabbed the tissue box from the nightstand. 

"Here," 

"Thanks," Kurt sniffles, grabbing a couple tissues and wiping his face, trying to clean himself up a bit. 

"You wanna talk about it?"

Kurt lets out a deep sigh, playing with the tissue in his hand. "It just sucks,"

"What does?"

"Everything. It's just-I-I just don't know what to do anymore," 

"What do you mean?" 

"I always thought that I had got the short end of the stick in life. I never fit in no matter how hard I tried, so I stopped trying. I grew up without a mom, I'm a gay kid in Ohio, I didn't have many friends, I was bullied to hell and was bullied out of all the things I did as a kid. I never had a lot of money growing up, so things were always difficult financially. I never had any silbings-I just-I felt cheated, but then I look at Blaine and I really realize how lucky I am." At Finn's confused expression, he continued.

"At least the little time I had with my mom, I cherish and don't regret. At least I had some friends, and was never put in the hospital due to my bullying problems, or money didn't cover up our problems. I have a dad who loves me and supports me no matter who I become or who I am, when Blaine can barely have a conversation with his, and my dad isn't an alcoholic and I didn't have to listen to my dad practically rape my mom in the next room when I was trying to sleep. Even if I had to wait for a brother, at least it was a brother who didn't run out on me and leave me with that. At least I don't have cancer," His voice got quiet on the last few words.

Finn slowly nods, trying to think of something to say. What were you suppose to say? He's new to this whole comforting thing. Rachel would always just say he wasn't doing it right when he tried to make her feel better.

"I just don't know what to do for him anymore. I can't take the cancer away, or change his past. I can't just make him forget all the horrible things he's been through and yet, that's all I can think about. I keep thinking 'maybe I'm just missing something,', but I can't come up with anything besides holding him and then lie to him by telling him everything is going to be okay, when I don't even know if it will be."

"Kurt, you can't change the past, but you can give him a good future," Finn replies softly, leaning forward on his knees, but turning his head back to look at his brother. 

"What?"

"You can give him a good future. You can take him away from all this when high school is over. He won't have to see his dad unless he wants to, or any family for that matter. He can beat this cancer and live in New York with you and with all your adorable babies that will probably end up taking over the universe just because they're so cute."

Kurt chuckles a little and Finn can't help but smile. He did it. He cheered Kurt up, that was his goal. 

"You guys can be on Broadway or whatever, but you can make him happy like no one else can. You can promise that everything will be okay, because I'm sure of it. You guys are Kurt and Blaine, you're good people apart, but you have like superpowers when you're together," The countertenor laughs gently, letting the last of his tears to drip from his chin, but no new ones joining. 

"Have you ever thought of being a therapist?" Kurt half jokes, dabbing at his eyes with the tissue still in hand. 

"Is that was Mr. Schuester does?" 

Kurt laughs. "Pretty much," He assures him, nudging his shoulder with a smirk on his face. 

"You'll be alright, Kurt. Both of you will," Finn nods, turning serious once more. Kurt doesn't say anything, he just lays his head on Finn's shoulder and sighs heavily. Finn's smile grows, glancing down at his brother's head full of auburn hair. 

"Thank you, Finn," Kurt says after a space of silence. 

"That what big brothers are for,"

"Stop calling yourself my older brother. I'm only three months younger than you," Kurt was trying to be mad, but he couldn't stay mad at the big goon. 

"You know you're going to make it big too, right?" He adds after a short space of silence.

"Doing what?" 

"Honestly, I think you'd make a good teacher. A music teacher, like Mr. Schue. You don't see it, but you connect with people like me, and you'd do great at it, Finn. You don't give yourself enough credit,"

"You think so?" 

"Yeah, I know so. I know you're having problems with Rachel and Quinn right now, but no matter which one you choose, you'll be alright," 

"Thanks, Kurt," 

"I guess littler brothers can help too," Kurt chuckles lightly. Finn smirks, his large shoulders shaking with a few chuckles.

 

Before the car was even to a complete stop, Blaine was out and walking up the steps of the house. He was sick of hearing his father, complaining and nagging about Blaine and his situation, still obviously drunk. He couldn't take it anymore. He would have been running, but he didn't feel up to it. His adreneline from going to the hospital was gone due to the long ride home back to Westerville and these pain pills were making his stomach feel strange. His father was calling after him, but he didn't pay attention, he could hear his dress shoes slide against the gravel and dirt, tripping over his own feet, but he didn't care. 

Blaine walked through the house, starting for the staircase. He just wanted to lie down, the ride home made him feel even sicker. His eyes were starting to droop shut, his stomach was gurgling with unhappiness, but the pain in his finger was brought to a dull ache. 

He made it up a total of two steps before his shoulder was being pulled back and he was falling back onto the tile floor, luckily not hitting his head and just having the wind knocked out of him. 

"Blaine!" Cooper calls, rushing into the house and kneeling beside his dazed brother. James was standing over him, his pupils dialated from the alchohol and his upper lip turned up. 

"I was talking to you! You think being a little sick is a get out of jail free card?" His words were slurred and Blaine was too tired and feeling too sick to even desphire exactly what he was saying. He just shook his head weakly, and leaned into Cooper's chest, his eyes starting to fall shut.

"He has cancer, Dad. He's more than just a little sick," Cooper defends, petting down Blaine's hair carefully. 

"I don't care what he has. He can't just walk away from me. He should be scrubbing the floors for the inconvience he was today," 

"I'm sorry," Blaine whispers quietly, his head falling against Cooper. 

"Squirt, you have nothing to be sorry for," Cooper promises, rubbing his shoulder gently. 

"James, come on. Let's go to bed, you'll feel better in the morning," His mother is trying to coax her husband up the stairs, but he wasn't having it.

"Do you see what our son has done? He's made us drive from work all the way to Lima to get him and he's fine! He's not even sick, Pamela! Why are we paying for a bunch of chemo he doesn't even need?" 

Blaine shakes his head weakly, trying to hide in Cooper's leather jacket. His father was still yelling, but Cooper's eyes were directed towards Blaine, who looked as pale as a sheet.  
"Blainey, what's wrong?" He asks, pushing hair from his damp forehead. 

"I don't feel good. I think-I think I'm gonna puke," Blaine manages. Cooper starts to scramble up, trying to get him to the bathroom down the hall, but halfway there, Blaine was getting rid of his lunch over Cooper's t-shirt. 

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I-" 

"Blainey, you're fine. Come on, let's get you upstairs," Cooper instructs, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and starting up the staircase.

"Where are you going with him?" James calls from the bottom.

"Taking him upstairs. He's sick, Dad," Cooper calls back, rolling his eyes and hiking up a couple more steps to Blaine's bedroom. "What's wrong? What hurts?"

"I felt fine until the ride home. I think it was the pain meds they gave me," Blaine says quietly. 

"It probably didn't mix well with your chemo drugs, let's get you in bed and you'll feel better after a nap," Cooper instructs, already removing Blaine's shoes once he's lying down. He removes his hoodie too, leaving him just in his sweatpants. The younger boy nods slowly, instantly snuggling against the covers, and pulling his comforter over his shoulders.  
"You're alright, Squirt," Cooper promises, hesitating to press a kiss to his brother's forehead. 

"Thank you, Coop," 

His heart warms at the nickname. Blaine hasn't called him that since they were little kids. 

"Anything for you," He says, a small smile grazing his features. He pushes himself off the bed and switches off the bedside lamp, leaving the door open just a crack. 

He could hear his parents arguing downstairs, and he knew he should go down and help, but he doesn't. Instead, he goes to his old room and tosses his jacket off, throwing his now puke covered shirt off and into the hamper. He doesn't both putting on a new one, he just starts to pace in the front of his bed, running his hands deperately through his hair.   
He let Blaine down so much as a kid. He left him here with this, he didn't even realize how bad it had gotten. He thought he was clean, but how could he just assume that? He hasn't even been in Ohio for almost three years. He just figured his dad was getting clean and he was safe because the last time he was here, James was going to rehab to fix his problem, but it clearly wasn't enough. 

"I shoulda been here," the star whispers to himself, continuing to pace slowly across his room. He can't fix what he did or didn't do, but now Blaine needs him more than ever.  
Seeing the Hummels treat Blaine like he was part of the family hit Cooper hard. Blaine didn't have a family at home, but he had another that took care of him when Cooper couldn't and he would never be able to repay them for what they've done for not only Blaine, but for Cooper. It hurts to see Blaine go through this, but it was even worse knowing his home wasn't safe anymore. 

The scary part was that tomorrow, no one will talk about what happened. He'll come down the stairs and his dad will be nursing a cup of coffee, using it to wash down the Advil his mother had given him to get rid of his hangover. His dad won't apologize and Blaine and his mother won't mention it. His dad will go to work, even though it's Saturday and his mom will start doing chores around the house. It was like it never happened in the first place, like it was a bad dream, until it happens again, and Blaine might not be able to take it. He might be too weak from the cancer to even fight back. If Cooper wasn't here today, Blaine would be getting his ass beat, while puking his guts out because there was no way his mother could take their father when he was this drunk and angry. 

Cooper wants to take Blaine out of here, but he's still only seventeen, he would need to be legal guardian for another year, but even if he was, he couldn't take care of him. He doesn't have a house or even a job and right now Blaine needs more than the average teenager. He needs hospitals and medication and Cooper just can't provide that for him, and with going from audition to audition, he probably won't be able to. It's not like he went to college and got a degree in anything, he can't get a real job. For now, they're both stuck here.


	4. Chapter Four: Infection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The response from this story is phenomenal! Thank you guys so much! You have no idea how much this means to me! I was so hesitant to post this story and to get this reaction is unbelievable, so thank you for reading, commenting, and leaving a kudos! Enjoy the next installment.

Kurt would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. Blaine said he would call or text when he got home and he didn't. Of course, Kurt's mind went to the worst scenarios. Like his dad hit him or they got into a car crash on the way home or maybe he opened his stitches and they had to rush back to the hospital. The possibilities were endless. He kept checking his phone for anything, but received nothing, so he did what he always did when he was nervous. 

He started to pace. He popped up from his spot on his bed and started to pace up and down in front of his door, every once in awhile sending a text to Blaine wondering what happened, but for the most part just pacing up and down in his room waiting to hear from his boyfriend. 

"Kurt, what are you doing?" Burt's voice interrupted Kurt thoughts, making him practically jump out of his skin.

"Jesus, Dad. Warn me before you talk," Kurt puts a hand over his heart in shock, making him put a pause on his pace.

"What are you doing?" Burt asks again, ignoring Kurt's statement, knowing it made no sense.

"Blaine said he'd call or text me when he got home, but he didn't and I'm worried," Kurt explains with a huff. He bites the inside of his cheek, waiting for his dad to laugh at him for worrying so much.

"You're gonna wear a hole in the floor," He chuckles, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Dad, this is serious! Blaine wouldn't just forget. He always texts me when he says he will. I'm worried. What if something happened?" He adds, with a shrug, crossing his arms over his chest. Burt rolls his eyes, knowing his joke didn't work.

"Have you tried calling him?" He asks, trying now to be helpful, knowing Kurt would be up til tomorrow morning if this was really bothering him.

"Yes, I've tried calling him. How dumb do you think I am?" Kurt snaps, starting to pace once more. Burt gives him a look, and he can feel it from over his shoulder. "Sorry, I didn't mean that,"

"I know. Call him one more time and if he doesn't answer, we'll go check on him, alright?" 

"Yeah, okay," Kurt nods, sniffling a little. He looks down at his phone that was still tight in his grasp and dials Blaine's number. After a few rings, for the first time that night, someone answered. It was a very, very groggy Blaine.

"Hello?" His voice is thick with sleep and Kurt can just see him rubbing his eyes, trying to get rid of the sleepies hiding in the corners of them.

"Hi, Honey," Kurt coos, the tension in his shoulders relaxing, but his eyes going wide at the realization that he just called his boyfriend 'Honey' with his dad in the room. He looks back to father, but he seems totally unphased by it. 

"Hey, Kurt," He can hear the small grin on his face now as he talks. He still sounds like he's slept for a year before picking up the phone, but he sounds happy before realization dawned on him. "Oh god, I was suppose to call you and I didn't," He sighs heavily with disappointment in himself. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry,"

"Hey, it's okay. I was just worried. You were returning my calls and you didn't call," Kurt replies, sitting himself down on the edge of his bed and crossing his arms around himself. "The last time that happened, you had cancer," Kurt mumbles to himself and Blaine seemed to have missed it.

"I got home and I just felt so sick. I don't remember a lot, but I do remember puking on Cooper," Blaine chuckles a little at the memory. Kurt giggles, hanging his head down and giving his dad a small smile, mouthing 'thank you'. His dad gives him a small smile and a nod before heading out the door and down the hall.

"You feel better now?" He asks, feeling a lot better knowing that Blaine was alive and okay and wasn't in a ditch somewhere or at the bottom of the stairs passed out.

"Yeah, but I think I slept for like six hours," Blaine yawns, quickly going stiff. "Were you waiting for me to call you for that long?"

"Yeah, I was," Kurt admits, his cheeks turning a little red, knowing he may have over exaggerated his worry just a little bit.

"Oh God, sweetheart, I'm so sorry. I swear nothing like that will happen again. Cooper thinks that the pain meds they gave me didn't go well with my chemo meds and it made me sick. I don't remember very much," 

"It's alright, but it sounds like you need sleep, so I'll let you go back to bed," 

"No, I wanna keep talking. I like talking with you," Blaine says tiredly and Kurt can practically hear his sheepish grin.

"I know, but I have a lot to do tonight anyway, so I'll call you tomorrow. Maybe we can go out for lunch since we weren't able to have our night tonight," That was a lie, he had nothing to do, but he knew that if he didn't hang up, Blaine would stay up all night with him and Blaine needed rest. He's had an eventful night. 

"I don't know, I haven't had a big appetite since starting chemo, maybe we can just go see a movie?"

"Yeah, that sounds fine, but no superhero movies or I will claw my eyes out with my own fingernails," Kurt jokes, his smile returning at the sound of Blaine's small chuckle.  
"Okay, no superhero movies. I'll see you tomorrow. I love you," He was already yawning and slurring some of his words by the time he got too far in his sentence.

"I love you too, Baby. Get some sleep," Kurt orders, letting out a deep breath.

"Okay," With that Blaine hung up and Kurt did too, leaving him by himself once more. 

 

-0-

 

"So, my head hair is not the only hair I'm losing," Blaine announces, switching the bathroom light off on his way back into his bedroom, where Kurt was lying on his bed with his phone in hand and one leg crossed over the other.

"Well, duh. Chemo goes after quickly dividing cells, and ALL your hair follicles are some of the first to go. You didn't know that?" Kurt set his phone down on his chest to look at his boyfriend with amusement.

"No, I didn't know, not until I realized I no longer have any pubic hair," Blaine says with a still shocked smile on his face. Kurt can't help but start laughing. He tries to cover his mouth to avoid the giggles, but he just ends up snorting. "This is not funny! Pubic hair is what makes me a man," He's trying to be serious, but seeing Kurt crack up so hard is too much. 

"I'm sorry," Kurt says through giggles, sitting up from his spot on Blaine's bed and waving his hand in front of him. "I can't help it,"

Blaine playfully rolls his eyes, coming to Kurt's side of the bed and crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah, I'm sure you're real sorry," 

"Wait, it's really all gone?" Kurt asks, his laughter starting to subside, just leaving him with a couple tears that fell from his fit. 

"Yeah, look!" Blaine motions for Kurt to come closer and pulls his sweatpants and boxers back so Kurt can see his now basically bald man parts. 

"Awe, Honey," Kurt chuckles, looking up from it to press a sweet kiss to his lips. 

"It's not funny!" Blaine exclaims, but his smile if still evident on his face. He shoves Kurt gently back onto the bed, which sent Kurt into another fit of laughter. 

"I'm not laughing because it's gone, I'm laughing because of your reaction to it being gone," Kurt defends, wiping at his laughter tears and setting his hands in his lap. At Blaine's pouting face, Kurt put out his bottom lip and sat back on his knees to kiss the pout from his lips. "It's not bad, I promise," He comforts, but a smile still grazing his features. "I still love it," He runs a gentle hand up his neck and on impulse, runs his fingers through Blaine's curls. He almost forgot that they were just talking about losing hair, until he pulled back his hand and realized he had taken a large patch with him. "Oh shit. I'm sorry, I didn't-" He pulls back from Blaine automatically, his face turning serious and apologetic.

"It needed to come out anyway," Blaine shrugs, pulling at Kurt's waist for him to come back, his smile fading, remembering the reason why they were having this conversation. 

"Did you wanna shave it?"

"Right now?" Blaine eyes go wide.

"Blaine, you're already finding hair everywhere, imagine finding this on your pillow in the morning," Kurt replies, holding his hand up to show Blaine the massive clump that had come out in his palm. Blaine sighs heavily, moving his head from side to side, like he really didn't wanna do it.

"But- but I don't wanna lose my hair," Blaine pouts, staring down at the hair in Kurt's hand. 

"I know, but then we can get it done and over with. I'll take you to the mall if you want and we can get you some beanies or scarves or whatever you want," Kurt offers, his eyes never leaving Blaine's. Blaine groans out at the thought of becoming bald and scrunches his face up. "Come on. It won't hurt at all. I promise," Kurt adds teasingly, rubbing Blaine's bicep to persuade him.

"Uh, fine," Blaine sighs heavily, rolling his head back playfully.

"Alright, come on," Kurt presses a final kiss to Blaine's lips and hops of the bed, dragging him by the hand to the en suite bathroom, Blaine groaning the whole way. 

He dumps the hair from earlier in the trash under the sink and started for Blaine's razor. 

"Go get your desk chair," Kurt orders, nodding off to Blaine's bedroom. Blaine moans loudly, but grabs the chair anyway. Kurt playfully rolls his eyes at his boyfriend, plugging the razor into the wall. "You'll look great," 

"I better," Blaine mumbles, setting the chair in front of the sink. 

"You can work anything besides a mullet. No one can make those look good," Kurt promises, planting a soft kiss to the top of his head once he's sat down, facing away from the large mirror. Blaine shakes his head playfully, hanging his head down so Kurt can start at the base of his neck. Kurt grabs another top from the bottom drawer and clips it onto the motor. "Okay, are you ready?" 

"No, but do it anyway," Blaine replies, shutting his eyes tight and waiting for the razor to meet his head. Kurt lets out a noise before turning it on and putting it to the back of Blaine's head making him cringe. Kurt starts at the bottom of his head and moves all the way to the front of his forehead. "Oh God," Blaine moans, staring down at the large patch of hair now sitting in his lap. Kurt goes to the next row and shaves that off as well.

"Blaine, you'll look fine," Kurt replies, brushing some hair from the already shaven part off and into his lap. Blaine shuts his eyes again until Kurt's gone through the first layer of his hair. 

The hair came out easily because it was already falling out, but Kurt still had to do a few swipes over the same patches. Finally, Kurt could switch to a different top so he could get rid of the finer hair on his head, leaving him practically clean shaven after each time through. During the whole process, Blaine was making groans and moans when more hair would land in his lap and Kurt would shush him with reassurances. 

"Okay, you're done," Kurt announces, switching the razor off and setting it beside him on the counter.

"I'm scared to look," Blaine chuckles nervously, running his hands over his pants to get rid of the hair there. Kurt smiles, helping him by rubbing the hair from his t-shirt.

"You look good, Baby," Kurt promises, admiring his work and running a quick hand over Blaine's now bare scalp. 

"Promise?" 

"Promise," 

Blaine sighs heavily, "Alright, here we go," He gets up from his chair and turns around to look in the mirror. His mouth instantly flies open in shock and his eyebrows raise so high, he thought they were also going to fly off his head. 

"Do you like it?" Kurt asks, biting his bottom lip nervously and still brushing hair from his shoulders.

"No," Blaine chuckles lightly, his voice thick with unshed tears. Kurt's face turns solemn. He knew it wasn't because he actually hated being bald, but it was the reason he had to get if shaved off. "God, this sucks," Blaine adds, shaking his head, still staring at his now bare head. 

"I'm sorry, Honey," 

"No, it's not you. It's just, God, cancer sucks," He replies, running a hand over his head, getting use to the new texture of it. 

He's always hated his curls, but now that they were gone, he wanted them back. He wanted them back so badly, but he couldn't do anything about it. 

"There's really no avoiding it now, huh? I have cancer and now everyone can tell," Blaine rolls his eyes at his reflection, scoffing loudly. Kurt sighs heavily with sympathy. 

"I was right though, you do look good," Kurt laughs, wrapping his arms around Blaine's waist and resting his chin on his shoulder. Blaine smiles gently, wiping quickly at his eyes. 

He wasn't going to cry. He was sick of crying and losing his hair was a given. There was no reason to be upset. Blaine sets his hands over Kurt's and rubs at them gently. 

"I do look good," Blaine teases, giving his reflection a lopsided grin. Kurt's smile widens as he presses a kiss to the side of Blaine's head. 

"You also have a mole,"

"I have a what?!" Blaine's hand instantly flies to the back of his head, as if he could feel it. Kurt starts to laugh once more.

"It's not that big, it's a brown mole right behind your ear," Kurt chuckles, taking Blaine's finger and dragging it to the spot. 

"I can't feel it," 

"Hold on," Kurt reaches down, searching through the drawers until he found a gold, hand-held mirror. He put it in Blaine's hand and turned him around. "Just hold it up and you should be able to see it in the other mirror." He instructs, his grin still wide. 

Blaine does as he's told, his hand flying to the spot. Kurt was right, a brown mole about the size of dime was etched into his skin, right behind his ear. "Oh my god, that is the ugliest thing I have ever seen," Blaine comments, his mouth wide with disgust. 

"It's not that bad, Honey," Kurt coos, trying to keep his laughter in check.

"You're just saying that to make me feel better," Blaine replies, turning his head at different angles, a childish part of him wishing it would disappear if he moved in a different way, but of course it was still there no matter what he did.

"I kind of am," Kurt admits, scrunching his face up. 

"We need to get something to cover that, ASAP," Blaine chuckles, finally setting the mirror down on the counter and turning back around, not able to look at the hideous mole on the back of his head any longer. Kurt laughs quietly, wrapping his arms back around Blaine's waist.

"Of course we will, I won't let you walk around with that ugly thing," Kurt teases, earning a nudge and an eye roll from his boyfriend. Blaine keep his smile, but the laughter soon dies down and they're left in silence once more, admiring their reflection.

"I love you," Kurt blurts, kissing the mole with a loud pop to try and make Blaine feel a bit better about it.

"I love you too," Blaine lets out a deep breath before patting Kurt's arms gently. "Alright, I'm gonna go find a hat or something and I believe you mentioned something about a mall?" 

Kurt giggles, letting Blaine out of his grasp. "I did. Let me get this swept up and we can go," He nods. Blaine returns the smile and starts for his bedroom closet. "Blaine?" Kurt calls after him.

"Yeah?" Blaine spins around, only making it few steps before he was interrupted. Kurt gives him a smile and leans over, planting a kiss against his lips.   
"You really do look good," 

"Thanks, Baby," Blaine's smile widens at that, leaning in for the next kiss. 

"Alright, now go find hat and a broom before I start crying," 

 

"I look like your dad," Blaine comments, looking at himself in the floor length mirror. He tried his fedoras, but they just scratched at his scalp, so instead he grabbed one of the 'Hummel Tire and Lube' hats that Burt had given to him as a joke and he looked like a younger Burt Hummel. 

"What?" Kurt looks up from his pile of hair he was sweeping, and at his boyfriend. "Yeah, we need to get you some new hats because I am not dating my dad," He jokes, shaking his head and practically gawking at Blaine.

"I told you!" Blaine laughs, turning his head to the side to look at himself from a different angle. 

"You are not wearing baseballs caps until your hair grows back," Kurt remarks, kneeling down to dust up the hair pile on the tile floor.

"You don't have to tell me twice," He sighs heavily, leaving it on for their trip to the mall and grabbing his jacket from the back of his desk chair that has been put back in it's rightful place. Kurt laughs, setting the broom beside the doorway and crossing the room to his boyfriend, who was already working on getting Kurt's jacket. 

"Wow, you're bald," Kurt chuckles, his eyes instantly going to Blaine clean shaven head.

"Yeah, I am, and now you probably wish you didn't suggest we shave it," Blaine teases, Kurt's jacket in hand, but Kurt was already slipping his hands on Blaine's waist that has shrunk quite a bit since chemo started. 

Blaine was already starting to get a bit pale and lose weight, but seeing him with no hair was like the final straw. It was finally a realization that he was sick and it wasn't just the stomach flu, it was cancer and it was going to be here for awhile even if no one wanted to admit it.

"No, I don't regret it, It's just all real now," Kurt admits, trying to avoid tears by laughing lightly and Blaine quickly caught on, his face falling flat.

"I know," It's all Blaine can think of to say. He thought the same thing standing in the mirror and looking at himself like this. He looked sick and that was a lot to take in because he was sick and it wasn't just a cold. Kurt sniffles, patting Blaine chest and breaking their embrace.

"Alright, let's go before the mall closes," 

"Okay," Blaine says quietly, helping Kurt into his jacket and grabbing their phones from the nightstand. Kurt wiped gingerly at his eyes before he started to follow Blaine down the stairs. 

At the sound of the boys coming down the stairs, Cooper spoke up, not yet tearing his eyes away from his phone. "Hey, what are you guys-Oh my god! You're bald!" He shouts the last part when he noticed the baseball cap on Blaine's head and how there were no dark curl sticking out from beneath it. Blaine laughs at his reaction.

"Yup, I'm bald now. It was falling out and it was just getting annoying," Blaine explains, leaving out the part that lead them to the topic because not only was it embarrassing, but he would never hear the end of it. Kurt beams at his boyfriend, still staring at his head. 

"Wow, take that thing off and let me see," Cooper smirks, getting up from his seat at the breakfast bar to get a closer look. Blaine does as he's told, bending his neck in different ways so Cooper could get a good look. "Look at that mole!" He teases, clearly amused by the situation.

"Shut up!" Blaine says, smacking Cooper's hand that was reaching out to touch it. "I know it's horrible," Blaine grumbles, putting his cap back on. 

"Yeah it is," Cooper snickers, holding his stomach to stop the laughter.

"Oh, piss off," Blaine's trying to be angry, but he was having trouble, so he just shoved his brother's shoulder which wasn't strong at all. "Yeah and Kurt can't stop staring at it," Blaine jokes, nudging Kurt's shoulder playfully.

"Not because it looks bad!" Kurt defends. "It's just so different. I'm used to wild curls in the morning and hair gel in the afternoon and now you won't need hair gel or combs or anything else to tame them because they're gone," 

"Oh god, Blaine without hair gel? Are you gonna be okay, Squirt?" Cooper teases, removing Blaine's cap to rub his head. Blaine is quickly pulling back, trying to cover his head.

"Hey, knock it off!" Blaine laughs, reaching for his hat which was now held above Cooper's head, stretching his arm as far as he possible could. 

"You look good, kiddo," Cooper replies. "No need for a cap at all," He teases, watching in amusement at Blaine trying to jump and rip it from Cooper's grasp. 

"Yeah, uh huh," Blaine playfully rolls his eyes, making one last effort to reach it, which he somehow managed to do. "We're going to the mall. We'll be back later," He adds, taking Kurt's hand and leading him from the house before Cooper can make fun of him some more.

"Bye, Kurt!" Cooper calls, an amused grin still planted firmly on his face.

"Bye, Cooper!" Kurt calls back right before Blaine shut the door and put his hat back on. 

 

-0-

 

"Blaine, are you okay?" Cooper knocks gently against the bathroom door, straining to listen for a reply.

Blaine's been the bathroom for an hour and steam has been pouring from the bottom of the door for an hour as well and Cooper was worried. He came down earlier and said that he was cold and made himself a cup of tea, but Cooper thought nothing of it. 

"No," Blaine's reply is short and quiet and if Cooper didn't have his ear pressed to the door he wouldn't have heard it all.

"What's wrong?" Panic instantly floods Cooper's voice and facial features, his hand gripping the door handle and his shoulder pressed against the wood as if he was ready to break it down.

"I c-can't get warm," A stutter? That's so unlike Blaine, something was definitely wrong.

"I'm coming in," Cooper twisted the handle, starting to push the door open.

"No! Don't come in," Blaine's voice was persistent, louder than the last time, but still weak for Blaine.

"Why?" Cooper stopped dead in his tracks, thinking the worst.

"I'm in the bath and I'm naked," Blaine replies quietly, the sound of sloshing water making it even harder to hear his voice.

"Blaine, I'm your big brother. I've seen you naked. I used to change your diapers for God's sake. Now, I'm coming in," Cooper says finally. He pushes open the door before Blaine can protest. As soon as he walks in he has to suck in a deep breath to make sure air even still existed. There was a thick fog of steam filling the room, making it hard for Cooper to fill his lungs with air. How was Blaine breathing in this?

Blaine was sat in the bath, his knees drawn tightly to his chest and his chin resting against the top of them.

"Jesus, Blaine,"

"I-I'm freezing," Blaine confesses.

"It's a million degrees in here. What do you mean you're cold?" Cooper tries not to roll his eyes and instead tossed his jacket aside and onto the floor.

"I don't know what's wrong. My body is aching and-and I'm freezing," 

"Let's get you out of the tub and into bed then," Cooper offers, already reaching for the bath plug, but Blaine smacked his hand away before he could.

"No, it doesn't work. Nothing does. I've tried it all," Blaine protests. 

"What do you want me to do then?" Cooper was at a loss. He was never a good caretaker.

"C-call Kurt. I called him an hour ago and he's still not here. I'm worried," Blaine replies, going back to his original fetal position. That was so like Blaine, worrying everyone else and he himself was worried about someone else.

"Okay, I'll go call him," Cooper gets up from his kneeling position and hurried to Blaine's room, his phone already in hand. He goes through his contacts, searching for Kurt's number that he's just acquired this past week, and hits the green call button. 

It didn't take more than two rings for him to pick up.

"Cooper?" 

"Blaine's asking for you. He said he called you, but he didn't know where you were," He didn't even bother saying hello, because that didn't matter at the time.

"Yeah, I'm just pulling into the driveway. I had to pick a couple things up before I came. How's he doing?"

"He's freezing, but the bathroom is a million degrees and he won't come out," Cooper explains. "I don't know what to do,"

"Just come let me in." With that Kurt hung up and Cooper was rushing down the steps to meet him at the door. He flings it open and Kurt is already rushing past him with what looked like a grocery bag in hand. Kurt looked determined, but with a hint of worry. Cooper follows him into Blaine's room where he dropped the bag on his bed, continuing on into the bathroom.

As soon as Kurt hit the bathroom, he has to stop to make sure he didn't just enter the depths of hell because it was flaming hot in there. There was a thick layer of steam covering the mirrors and almost everything else. 

"Kurt?" Blaine's voice is as small and fragile as it was the day he told Kurt he had cancer.

He knew that Blaine's lost some weight, but he really didn't notice the extent of it until he saw him sitting naked in the bathtub, his knees pulled tightly to his chest. He looked sick, but he didn't look just cancer sick anymore. Usually he was a little pale, but now he was almost green.

"Yeah, it's me, Honey," Kurt replies, kneeling down beside Blaine. "Sorry I took so long. I was getting some things to help you,"

"S'okay," Blaine replies quietly, already trying to lean into Kurt and snuggle up against him, but the bath wall was making it impossible, Kurt wraps an arm around his shoulder though, not caring is his shirt was getting wet.

"Come on, let's get you out of here and into some nice clean clothes," Kurt offers.

"It won't work. I just can't get warm,"

"I know, that's why I brought some heating pads and wool socks and we'll try that, okay? Then Cooper can make some tea," Kurt adds. At the words, Cooper is already pushing off the door frame and rushing downstairs to turn on the kettle, desperate to feel useful. Kurt sighs heavily, pressing his lips softly to the top of Blaine's head. He tries not to instantly pull back at the temperature at it. "You're burning up," He comments, pulling back to press the back of his hand against his skin. "Maybe that's just the water," Kurt whispers to himself, putting his hand in to test it. He hisses quietly, reaching back. It was burning hot. "Yeah that's it," Kurt sighs once more, reaching for the plug and this time Blaine let him drain the water. He pushes himself off the floor and grabs a towel from the counter, opening his arms so Blaine can step into it. 

Blaine goes to stand, almost falling back into the water from how weak he was. Luckily, Kurt caught him before he could and helps him step over the bath wall.

"M'sorry," Blaine manages, gripping onto Kurt tightly. He knew Blaine was getting his clothes wet, but that was the least of his concerns. 

"You're okay," Kurt promises, helping him to sit on the toilet seat so he could dry him off. 

"Kurt, I don't feel well," He blurts, putting his hand over Kurt's. Kurt snaps his head up from drying his legs, his eyes filled with worry.

"Are you gonna puke?"

"I think so," Blaine says, his breathing becoming ragged. He knew he couldn't get him off the toilet in time, so he grabbed the trash can by the sink and handed it to him just as he started disposing of his lunch. Kurt takes in a shaky breath, rubbing his back gently until he was reserved to just dry heaving. 

"I'm so sorry," Blaine says once he's finished and Kurt sets the trash back beside the sink.

"You have no reason to apologize, Sweetheart," Kurt promises, using the towel to clean his mouth off and wipe the hot tears that were falling from his cheeks. Blaine nods weakly as Kurt finished drying him off. 

Kurt wraps an arm around his waist and helps him up and into his bedroom where he sits Blaine down on the edge of the bed.

"Cooper!" Kurt shouts loudly, going through Blaine's dresser. He grabs out a pair of old sweats, clean pair of boxers and a Dalton hoodie. He starts to help Blaine get dressed just as Cooper comes rushing in as fast he could with a cup of tea in hand. Cooper sets the steaming mug down on the nightstand before Kurt replies. "We need to take him to the ER," Kurt announces, sliding the hoodie over his head and helping him into the sleeves.

"What? Why?"

"Why? He's burning up and he can't even get dressed with out help," Kurt replies, pressing a soft kiss to the top of Blaine's head and rushing around the room for Blaine's phone and wallet. "He could have an infection and if he does his body can stop fighting off the cancer," 

Cooper goes numb. He doesn't make a move. The thought of his brother's body stop fighting was horrifying. That meant the cancer would win and he would die and that was scary. 

"Cooper! Do something!" Kurt shouts, kneeling down to slip a pair of Tom's onto Blaine's feet. As if snapping back to reality, Cooper was in motion once more.

"OK, I'll go get the keys," He starts out the door, but Kurt stopped him before he could get too far.

"No, he's all dead weight and I can't carry him down those stairs by myself. So, you need to help me," Kurt replies, wrapping one of Blaine's arms around his neck and one of his own arms around his waist. Cooper nods, hurrying back to help Kurt get him down the steps. 

Blaine was conscious, but barely. He was sweating already, but still shivering and he was weak, hardly able to keep his eyes open. There was no way either of them could carry him down the stairs by themselves.

Kurt slides in the back seat of his Navigator and tossed Cooper the keys once Blaine was also in, lying down across the seats and his head being cradled in Kurt's lap.

"Please, hurry, Cooper," Kurt begs, running a soothing hand over Blaine's arm, holding him tightly to his chest.

"I'll go as fast I legally can," Cooper replies, pulling out from the driveway almost at an alarming rate and onto the road, having to apologize to their neighbor who he pulled out in front of. 

"Kurt?" Blaine mumbles weakly, nuzzling his nose against Kurt's thigh.

"I'm right here, Honey. I'm not going anywhere,"

"I don't feel good,"

"I know. You'll be alright. We're taking you to the ER now, okay?"

"Puke, again," He mumbles out, shaking his head slowly.

"Shit. Cooper hand me that trash can between the seats!" Kurt orders quickly, already making grabby hands for the said object. Cooper looks between the road and between the seats, finally being able to squeeze the car sized can out and handing it back to Kurt. Kurt puts it under Blaine's mouth. Blaine is quickly leaning over getting rid of his stomach's contents once again, which by the looks of him, he didn't have a lot in there. 

"M' sorry," Blaine whispers quietly, wiping his mouth gingerly with his sleeve.

"Shh, none of that," Kurt comforts, holding the now smelly bin all the way there just in case Blaine needed it again. 

"We're almost there," Cooper announces, pressing on the gas a bit harder. They really weren't almost there or close enough for Kurt's taste.

"K," Blaine says softly, sniffling quietly and nuzzling against Kurt. Kurt sucks in a deep breath to steady himself. He hated seeing Blaine like this. He starts to rub at Blaine's arm once more to soothe him gently. 

It took another fifteen minutes before they arrived at the hospital and Cooper went out to get a nurse, seeing as there was no way they were gonna get Blaine out of the car. Kurt sat with him, calming him every time he made a murmur or got uncomfortable until a couple nurses with a wheelchair came out. 

"Blaine, honey, come on. You gotta get out of the car."

"I don't wanna," Blaine murmurs, hiding his face in Kurt's jacket.

"I know, but you'll feel better if you do. They'll take care of you," Kurt coos, planting a soft kiss to the top of his bald head. "So, come on. Let's go," He tries again, starting to scoot Blaine out from the backseat. Blaine finally started to cooperate and was a little easier to get out of the car than he was getting in it. 

Kurt sat him down in the wheelchair and pressed another kiss to his head before the ER nurse started in the hospital. 

When they got in the waiting room, both Kurt and Cooper started to go with him, but another nurse stopped them, stepping in front of their way.

"I'm sorry, but we need him to be alone right now. If he does have an infection we need to make sure he doesn't catch anything else," She explains, giving them a small sympathy smile.

"Yeah, I should probably call my dad, anyway," Kurt replies, running a hand over his hair. "Cooper, you need to call your parents too," 

"Yeah, yeah, okay," Cooper nods, pulling out his phone and searching through his contacts.

"He'll be alright," Kurt promises, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Cooper nods slowly, knowing that if he said anything, he would probably start crying. Kurt gives him one last small smile before pulling out his phone. He heads out of the hospital to get a little bit more quiet and remained out front. 

 

"Hello?" Burt's gruff voice answers the house phone.

"Dad?" 

"Kurt? I thought you went over to Blaine's," 

'Don't cry. Don't cry.' Kurt tells himself, running a nervous hand over his side as he sucked in a deep breath to try and steady his breathing.

"I did, but he had a fever, so we-" He pauses, breathing out through puckered lips. "We took him to the hospital,"

"You what?! Is he okay? Where is he now? Is there with you now?" His dad's voice was quickly sent into a spiral of worry. He almost worried as much Kurt did. That must be where he got it from.

"We don't know if he's okay. The nurses took him back, but we weren't allowed to go with him because if he has a fever, it could lead to infection and that could stop his body from fighting the cancer," Kurt replies, starting to pace up and down the pavement, trying to keep his tears at bay. Just the thought of Blaine's body giving up was horrifying. 

He was already five weeks into his first cycle, he could do it. Everyone knew he could, but this was a set back that could cost him his life. 

"Jesus, Kurt," Burt says through a breath. Kurt couldn't see him, but he knew him well enough to know that he probably took of his baseball cap to run a hand over his bald head.

"Who else is there?"

"Just me an Cooper. Dad, you should have seen him. He was so weak that could barely even stand without help. He kept saying that he was freezing, but his forehead felt like it was a million degrees and he was shivering, but he was sitting in a bathtub where the water was practically boiling. He was vomiting and-and-" Kurt cuts himself off because he was blinking rapidly and waving his hand. 

"Kurt, we're on our way. Just sit tight until we get there, okay?" 

"Okay," Kurt says quietly, nodding his head. Burt hung up first and Kurt did the same shortly after. Kurt sucks in once more breath, sticking his phone back in his pocket. He lets the breath out through his mouth. He had to be strong for Blaine and for Cooper and now for his dad as well, they needed him to be there and he would be, he always would be.

Deciding he was calm enough, he walked back in. Cooper was no longer on the phone and instead was sitting in one of the waiting chairs, leaning forward so his elbows were on his knees and his hands brought up to his face and his eyes closed. 

'Maybe I should get coffee," Kurt wonders, slowly making his way over to Cooper and taking the chair beside him. 

"Did you call your dad?" Cooper asks, his eyes still shut.

"Yeah, he's on his way. You?"

"No, I didn't call my dad. He doesn't need to be here right now. Blaine doesn't need that, he needs to focus on getting better, not if his drunk father is gonna walk through the door, ya know?"

"Yeah," Kurt says quietly. He was silently hoping Cooper wouldn't call him. He was right, Blaine didn't need that right now. He needs support and all that he can possibly get and him being here wouldn't be a good idea. 

"Did you want coffee or something?" Kurt offers, breaking the silence between the two.

"What are you doing, Kurt?" 

Kurt snaps his head back towards him. 

"What? What do you mean?" Kurt could feel his heart rate start to accelerate. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe Cooper didn't want him here at all. This really was a family thing, why was he here.

No, he should be here. This was his boyfriend and he belonged here right beside him and-

"You boyfriend was taken into the ER and you're offering me coffee? Why aren't you upset and crying and freaking out like the rest of us? I don't understand. Do you just not care about him?"

Kurt's eyes go wide and so does Cooper's, instantly regretting what he said. He sits back up right, waving his hands in front of him, trying to apologize before the words came out of his mouth.

"I didn't mean that at all. I just-I don't get how you can be so calm right now," Cooper scoffs, quickly recovering. Kurt's shoulders relax once more.

"First, don't ever say I don't care about him. Blaine is my goddamn world and without him, I am nothing. I even sang about," Kurt mumbles the last part, his eyes now locked on Blaine's brother. 

"I know. I didn't-"

"No, you don't know because you came here a month ago and you barely know me. So, no you don't know how much Blaine means to me. I would kill for him, I would die for him, and I would live for him. I would do anything for him," Kurt explains, tears gathering in his eyes. 

"I'm sorry, Kurt. I didn't mean that. It just came out," 

"Yeah, I know." 

"But, how are you so calm? I just don't understand it,"

"I don't know. Ever since my mom died, I had to take on the roll as caregiver to my dad because he was hurting too. He lost one of the loves of his life and if that happened to Blaine, I wouldn't be able to continue either, so I understand it. I used to be so resentful, but now I get it because I have Blaine. Now, I always make sure everyone else is okay before I make sure I am. I've always been that way," Kurt shrugs. 

Before Kurt can react, Cooper has his arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"Oh, okay," Kurt says, awkwardly patting his back. "This is happening,"

"I know I don't know you well, Kurt, but I love you because you're my baby brother's boyfriend and I love him, so I love you, and you've taken care of him while I was gone and it means a lot to me," He rambles on. 

"Hey, it's okay," Kurt chuckles nervously. 

Realizing what he just did, Cooper pulls back, sitting back in the pale green waiting chair, wiping furiously at his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I just did that. That's so unlike me," Cooper shakes his head, running a nervous hand through his styled hair, that has a few pieces falling over his forehead.

"What? Acting on impulse? That's unlike you? I think Blaine would say different," Kurt teases. Cooper laughs, wiping his hands over his dark jeans. 

"Yeah, he probably would disagree," Cooper agrees. "You still offering coffee?"

"Yeah, I am," Kurt's laughs fades, but a small smile remains as he picks himself off his waiting chair, heading down the hall to try and find the cafeteria. 

 

When he comes back with 2 cup of coffee in hand, one black and the other a mocha, Cooper is sitting in the same spot, only his mother is sitting where Kurt was before he left.   
She had tears in her eyes and old tears staining her cheeks red. She must have just come from work because she was dressed in a navy blue pencil skirt, a white blouse and a pair of black, platform heels. A white purse was being clutched tightly in her grasp and her dark brown hair was full of hairspray and looked almost the same to the state it was in when she left that morning. 

Kurt puts on a brave face, despite the way his heart was aching for Blaine, and hand Cooper his cup of coffee and his own mocha to Mrs. Anderson. 

"Thank you, sweetheart," She says taking the plastic cup in her hand and taking a long drink. Drinking hot coffee every morning was part of her daily routine, so the temperature didn't seem to bother her at all. 

"Of course," Kurt replies sitting on the other side of Cooper to wait for either news on Blaine or his own father. 

"Did you guys hear anything while I was gone?" Kurt asks, crossing one leg over the other and leaning forward to look at the both of them.

"No, no one has said anything to us," Pamela says, dropping her bag in the chair beside her and looking down at the floor, playing nervously with the lid of her coffee cup. 

"That doesn't mean that he's not okay. It just means that they're taking their time and taking care of him. He's in good hands," Kurt assures her, reaching over Cooper to rest a gentle hand on her knee. She nods slowly, wiping her fingers across her face to try and get rid o her unshed tears. 

"Yeah," She says quietly, drinking from her cup once more. Kurt pulls his hand away, sitting back in his chair. "Did you call your father, Cooper?"

"No, he doesn't need to be here," Cooper replies sharply, busying himself with his own coffee. 

"I know he's done some things in the past, but Blaine is still his son and he loves him no matter what,"

"He's drinking again, Mom. He pulled Blaine down the stairs when he was just coming home from the hospital. He makes snide remarks and gets into fights with Mr. Hummel and with me in the hospital waiting room. He doesn't need to be here. Not until he's sober," Cooper says, turning to look at his mom, trying to get her to understand.

"Cooper, we need to call him. If we dont and he finds out, he's going to be a handful,"

"Think about Blaine. He doesn't need that right now. He's in the hospital with a fever, he shouldn't have to worry about his dad coming and ripping him out of bed, because 'he looks fine'," 

His mother doesn't say anything after that, she just turns back in her seat, drinking casually from her cup. Kurt stays silent as well, and Cooper doesn't push it anymore, so they sit in silence once more, listening to the sounds of the nurses bustling around, phones ringing, and conversations between the few other people waiting and between the nurses.  
Burt doesn't show up for another fifteen minutes, but when he does, he looks as if he was just told his son was put in the hospital, which in a way, he was. His eyes scan the waiting room until they land on the trio sitting in the far corner of the room, still sitting in an awkward silence.

"Kurt," Burt breathes out. Kurt lifts his head from his phone and gets to his feet. Burt pulls him in for a hug just as Carole, Finn and even Rachel trailed in. "How is he?" 

"We don't know, we haven't heard anything," Kurt replies. Carole reaches the pair and gives Kurt a gentle, motherly hug. 

"He'll be alright," She whispers, rubbing her hand down Kurt's back. Kurt just nods, trying to believe the words that have spilled from his mouth for the last couple hours. It proved to be harder, knowing they were just for comfort and not for a fact. 

"I hope it's alright that Rachel's here. She was already at the house and we wanted to come too," Finn says shyly, Rachel having an arm wrapped around him and a hand on his chest. 

"Yeah, that's fine. I get it," Kurt nods, sticking his hands in his back pockets and taking a deep breath. Burt studies him closely before saying something else.

"Why don't you guys go sit with the Anderson's. I think I need to talk to Kurt," He says, his eyes never leaving his son. Carole looks to him knowingly and joins the pair in the other end of the waiting room. As they walk past, Finn claps Kurt on the back and follows his mom with Rachel still wrapped tightly to his side. Once they're gone, Burt begins to talk.

"How are you doing, kid?" Burt asks. Kurt opens his mouth to use his usual response of 'I'm fine', but it doesn't come out, a broken sob does. He hangs his head, covering his mouth with his hand and shutting his eyes. Burt breathes out a sigh, pulling Kurt back into his arms and rubbing his back. "You're alright, kiddo," Burt promises. Kurt nods into his flannel, using one hand to grip at it tightly. His father presses a kiss to the top of his head, his arms still wrapped firmly around him. "Talk to me," 

"I'm just so worried. It's so hard to wait like this. It's horrible, just hoping that maybe he's okay and he'll pull through, but we don't know that. He was so weak, he could barely stand and he vomiting and just gripping onto me like a lost child and I couldn't do anything for him," Kurt sobs out. "I felt so useless because I couldn't help him. I could take his pain away, I could just fix it. I was stuck just hoping that he's alright," His voice was a little muffled by his father's now tear stained shirt, but Burt could make it out just fine. 

"Kurt, you did everything you could possibly do and it got Blaine to the hospital where he's gonna be taken care of and patched up. I know you hear this a lot, but you have to believe me when I say he'll be okay," Burt promises, a few of his own tears gathering in his eyes.

He loved Blaine like a son and he was just as worried as anyone else. He was worried about losing Blaine, but he more concerned about Kurt losing Blaine. The two of them were inseparable. If something happened to Blaine, Kurt would be destroyed and Burt didn't know if he would be able to continue after losing Blaine. He knew Kurt was strong, but he's already lost so much and Burt's never seen him so attached to someone before. 

Losing his mother was hard, but he was so young. He knew what was going on, but if he lost his mother now, he would still be mourning a year later just as hard as he was the night she died. Kurt losing Blaine would be just like that for him because he held on tight to people, he always has and now that's he's older, losing someone close to him would be worse, especially if it was Blaine.

"I want to believe you, but everyone keep telling me that and I keep saying it and I don't know if I can," 

"Yes, you can, Kurt, because Blaine needs you right now and if you stop believing, so will he. You just have to trust everyone and trust yourself because he will be okay," Burt says again. Kurt nods into his shirt before pulling away, wiping furiously at his eyes to get rid of the moisture.

"I love you, you know that, right?" Burt puts a hand on his shoulder, looking him right in the eyes. Kurt nods, still wiping at his face.

"Yeah, I love you too, Dad," Kurt gives him a brave smile, adjusting his shirt and giving his father one last hug. Burt pats his back carefully before letting him go with a deep sigh.  
"Now, let's go wait for news," Burt suggests, wrapping an arm around his son's shoulders and starting for the others.

 

It took another couple hours before anyone came out to see them and give them any kind of news. A tall doctor with a head full of black locks, and his hands stuck into the pockets of his lab coat walked up to them casually, with a small smile on his face and his eyebrows raised slightly.

"Are you the family of Blaine Anderson?" He asks, stopping in front of the row of chairs, filled with the two families.

"Yes," Kurt says quickly, popping up from his chair first. The doctor looks him up and down, noticing how young he looks before continuing, but looking to Blaine's mother who had also stood up.

"I'm Dr. Porter, I'm taking care of Blaine right now because his usual doctor, Dr. Thomas, is on vacation this week, but Blaine seems to be doing well," At his words, Kurt visibly relaxes, and fights the urge to let out a loud sob of relief, but he holds in so he can continue. "He came in with a fever of 104.1, but we put him on some heavy antibiotics a couple hours ago, and he seems to be doing well. His fever he fallen down to 101.8. He's still sleeping, but he should make a full recovery, from the fever anyway, and we should be able to let him out in a few days, maybe four or five," He explains.

"Thank you, Doctor," Pam manages, her shoulders relaxed as well, he nods his head a few times.

"We're also going to delay his chemo until he is well again,"

"How long will that take?" Cooper asks, his short lived relief now gone.

"Maybe a week, maybe two,"

'Blaine is not going to be happy about that,' Kurt thinks to himself. He was upset by a couple days and maybe two weeks would kill him. He does not wanna be the one to tell him.  
"Can we see him?" Kurt asks, his arms crossed over his chest and his hand rubbing at his shoulder blade.

"Uh, yes, but I only suggest one at a time because Blaine is still at risk of the fever getting worse," Dr. Porter eyes Kurt warily, almost as if he was a small child. 

"Kurt, you go first," Cooper says, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"What?" Kurt snaps his head back towards the older Anderson brother. "But, you're his brother and his mom, you guys should-"

"Kurt, go. He probably wants to see you more than us anyway," Cooper jokes. Kurt smiles gently, not wanting to say it was true, but it more than likely was. The doctor looks at the exchange before Kurt nods, his cheeks a light pink color. 

"Okay, where's his room?" He asks, sniffling back his tears.

"Who are you to Blaine, may I ask?" Dr. Porter asks, eyeing Kurt once more, knowing he wasn't family, but he looked too concerned to be just a friend.

"I'm his boyfriend," Kurt says proudly, standing up taller. Dr. Porter squints his eyes, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. 

"Usually, only family can see him because he is under eighteen," 

"Well, I'm his mother, and I say it's fine," Pam speaks up from beside her son, wrapping her arms around herself, her brow furrowed with determination. He eyes her carefully before nodding slowly.

"Okay, he's down this hall," The tall man says, opening himself to the right and starting down the hall. Kurt was too nervous to even look in the other rooms, the only things he could think about was seeing Blaine and what he looked like and how he felt. He just hoped that he looked and felt better than he did before they came here because Kurt never wants to see him look like that again. He can't. 

"Alright, this is his room," Dr. Porter stops in front of a room with the number 209 beside it. He steps aside, letting Kurt past him. 

At the sight of Blaine, Kurt's breath hitches in his throat. Blaine looked so small lying in the hospital bed like that. 

His forehead and the top of his bald head still had a few beads of sweat on the pale skin there. He was still very white, almost as white as the sheet that he was lying against. An IV went into his hand, which he was guessing was the antibiotic, and a tube through his nose to help him breathe. He was still sleeping and the sound of the heartbeat monitor, steady and alive, settled Kurt's heart rate quite a bit. Now, he could really feel the tears start to prick at his eyes. 

He slowly steps into the room, pulling up a chair and sitting beside Blaine's bed, taking the hand that didn't have the IV into his own and squeezing gently. Footsteps started to fade down the hall and Kurt could breathe again. He really didn't like that doctor, but the doctor probably didn't like him either.

"Thank God you're okay," Kurt whispers, bringing his hand up to his lips. He didn't expect Blaine to answer, he just needed to get it out and say it out loud, but he did get a response.

"Kurt," The voice is small and broken, but Kurt is still automatically on his feet.

"I'm right here, baby," Kurt promises, sniffling back his tears. He brings a gentle hand up to his head, rubbing his thumb across his temple. Blaine blinks his eyes open, squinting at the bright light, but smiling at the sight of his boyfriend standing over him.

"What happened?" Blaine whispers, shutting his eyes once more.

"You have a fever, so Cooper and I took you to the hospital, but you're okay now," Kurt explains, leaving out all the other details for now and squeezing Blaine's hand. Blaine squeezes back as hard as he can, which isn't much at all. 

"Oh," Blaine says quietly, his voice hoarse and scratchy.

"Do you need water or something, or-"

"No, I'm fine," Blaine sighs heavily. "Can you just lay with me?" Blaine asks, tugging on Kurt's hand, opening one eye to look at his boyfriend.

"Blaine, everyone is waiting to see you. We were only allowed to come in one at time, I-"

"Please? I miss you and I need you to feel better," He complains. "I don't wanna see anyone but you."

"Blaine-"

"Please?" Blaine begs, his eyes now open and his lips pouting. Kurt sighs loudly, contemplating whether this was a good idea or not. Dr. Homophobic probably wouldn't like it too much, but Blaine needed him and that's all that mattered. Plus, who was he to tell him no?

"Fine, scoot over," He smiles gently. Blaine scoots over and Kurt slides in beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Blaine snakes an arm around Kurt's chest, nuzzling his nose against him. 

"Thank you," Blaine whispers quietly, pressing a soft kiss through Kurt's shirt.

"Don't ever thank me for any of this. I told you that. I wanna take care of you, I always will, because I love you," 

Blaine smiles. "I love you too,"

"Go to sleep," Kurt coos, sliding his arm up and down Blaine's arm comfortingly. Blaine makes an unintelligible sound and Kurt brings the blankets up higher and over his shoulders, essentially tucking him in. 

 

It didn't take long for Blaine to fall back asleep considering he was already half asleep anyway. Kurt figured that he could slip out when he did fall asleep. He stayed for a few more minutes, rubbing Blaine's temple carefully while he slept, making sure he really was in a deep sleep before he left. 

He honestly could stay here for hours with him, but he knew that the others wanted to see him too, even if he was sleeping. So, he had to go back.

He leans down, planting a soft kiss to the top of his head. Blaine didn't even move. The countertenor started to move out from his grasp, but it only tightened around his waist. 

"Are you asleep?" Kurt chuckles quietly. Blaine doesn't say anything, he just stirs slightly, nuzzling his nose against Kurt's side. Kurt tries to pry Blaine's hands off himself, but Blaine's grip just tightened. Kurt bites back his laughter and instead got comfortable once more. "There's no way I'm getting you off me, huh?" Kurt whispers, resting a hand on the back of his neck and wiping his thumb across Blaine's pale cheek. 

He hated seeing Blaine this way. Blaine was always strong, lively and full of color. The cancer had taken almost all of that away from him, besides his strength. He will always be mentally strong, but the cancer had taken his physical strength. He was now pale, weak, and so small. It was painful to see Blaine like this. He just wanted to take his pain away and coddle him and never let him go, protecting him from everything that came their way, and he can't do that. He can just hold him and be there by his side to help him through anything he possibly can.


	5. Chapter Five: Some Hurtful Words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took me a little while to update again, I like to keep one chapter ahead, and I had to do SO much research for the next chapter, so it took me FOREVER, but it's done and just needs to be edited. Enjoy this one, it's kind of a filler, but I still hope you enjoy it! Comment and tell me what you think to make my week and leave a kudos! Thank you guys for your support with this story! Enjoy!

It's been two full days since Blaine has been brought into the hospital. His fever has broken and it's down to a regular temperature of 100.2. It's higher than a normal person's, but it's nothing to be concerned about anymore and he's no longer at high risk to catch infection. 

Even though the numbers say he's fine, Blaine is still exhausted and feeling a little sick, but doctors said it could also just be from chemo. That was another thing he wasn't too happy about, missing a confirmed two weeks of chemotherapy. It didn't settle well with him. 

He had shouted at the doctor that he was fine and he could finish his round when he was told, he was only a week from being done with it anyway, but his doctor had been nervous if his body could take that many days of chemotherapy drugs. Kurt had to calm him down and let him cry in his arms that night. To say the least, Blaine was discouraged about the whole ordeal. He was always either snappy or upset anymore, his mother had trouble being around him very much because of it, but she didn't blame him for being upset, but taking it out on her was not the right way to let out frustrations. 

Today, he was just tired. He didn't sleep the night before because he always had trouble sleeping in hospitals, and he really just wanted to go home. Wes and David had face timed him earlier in the day and they talked the entire lunch hour, which seemed to help cool Blaine down, but it did make him even more tired than he was before, which just proves he shouldn't be doing chemotherapy any time soon. Simple things have worn out since he started chemo though, but if a Face time wears him out, chemo will knock him out. 

He was exhausted, flipping through channels on his TV. One hand holding the remote and the other picking at his heated blanket. That was one of the few pluses of staying in the hospital, an endless supply of blankets that feel as if they have just been taken out of the dryer, nice, warm, and fresh. Kurt had texted him a half hour ago and said he was on his way from school to see him. Blaine was just excited to cuddle up against him and fall asleep, but when he walked in, he seemed off.

"Hey, Baby!" Kurt greets, knocking gently on the door frame. He was wearing a tame outfit, for Kurt Hummel anyway. A pair of black skinny jeans, a white button up, and a dark blue cardigan, a polka-dotted bow-tie, and completed with his usual dark, leather satchel.

"What happened?" Blaine asks, knowing something was wrong within an instant. Kurt plants a quickly kiss to his lips and sits down at the edge of the bed, rubbing Blaine's calf before replying. 

"I'm sorry, I know you're tired, but someone wanted to see my unicorn and Sam wanted to drop something off for you,"

"Are they here?" 

"Yeah the three of them," Kurt replies, waiting for Blaine to get snappy once more, but he was just too tired to care today.

"Three? Did Sam grow a twin while I was gone?" Blaine jokes, Kurt gives him small smile.

"No, but you know that Brittany always has a growth on her side. Santana's here too," He pauses, noticing Blaine's lack of enthusiasm. "I can tell them to leave if you want. They can come back another day," If anything, they would probably visit when he got home because Blaine's mood has been unpredictable lately and tomorrow he wouldn't just be tired.  
"No, you can send them in. It's alright," Blaine replies, yawning and running a hand over his head, stretching his arms over his head.

"You're sure?" 

Blaine nods again. "Yeah, that's fine. It's been awhile since I've seen anyone but you, Cooper and your dad anyway," He adds, a forced, tired smile on his face. Kurt sits there, gazing into his boyfriend's eyes, as if making sure this was a good idea before pecking his lips once more and calling out the doorway for them. He makes a hand gesture and the next thing Blaine knew Sam, Brittany and Santana were standing in his doorway.

Sam was holding a stack of comics and wearing his varsity jacket with a dark blue t-shirt underneath to match his blue jeans. Santana had an arm wrapped around Brittany's, her usual cheer leading uniform on and her free hand at her side. Brittany was standing with a bright smile on her face at the sight of Blaine well and alive, well, alive and her hands stuck into her varsity jacket pockets. 

"Hey," Blaine greets, his fake, dapper smile, that's he's mastered at his years at Dalton playing on his face. They don't say anything, Sam was even staring at him with sympathy. They must have noticed how sick he really looks, anyone could tell that, even Cooper did.

"Why do you look like a hairless baby penguin?" Brittany asks, cocking her head to the side in confusion. 

"Oh, shit, sorry. Sometimes it gets hot and it's hard to keep it on," Blaine sat up, searching for his beanie around himself, but he couldn't find it anywhere. It wasn't where he remembered leaving it, which was on his movable cart/table. "Kurt, have you-" By the time he looks up, Kurt is standing before him, his black beanie with the "Flash" symbol on the front is in his hands, being held out to him. "Thank you," he takes it from his grasp and slips it over his head. 

"Of course," Kurt gives him a small smile before sitting back on the edge of his bed. 

"I uh-I brought some comics because I know you're probably bored in here," Same coughs awkwardly. Blaine gives him a bright smile as he sets the small stack on the movable table.

"Thanks, I was getting tired of re-reading 'Captain America'," Blaine jokes, but it quickly falls flat. The room goes silent once more, Brittany staring at Blaine's appearance, probably realizing how sick he really looked. With his slightly sunken in cheeks, pale skin, lack of hair, and drooping eyes, he looked as if he had stage three stomach cancer, unlike the last time he saw them when he still looked healthy and relatively happy. 

Santana was looking down awkwardly at her feet, studying the dirty on her white tennis shoes, her arm still linked tightly with her girlfriend's. Sam had his hands stuck deep inside his pockets, looking anywhere but Blaine's bed, not wanting to make Blaine feel uncomfortable. Of course, Kurt noticed the awkward silence, but how are you suppose to approach that? He's usually a very blunt person, but he didn't want to upset Blaine anymore than he already was. 

"How's Glee club?" Blaine asks, sighing heavily. He used to people treating him this, treating him like he was sick.

"It's alright," Sam shrugs, not knowing what else to say. Should he say how awesome it's been doing mash up week and how he missed the Broadway, Beyonce, and boy band week? Or should he just say how it sucked not being able to do a Backstreet boy number with him? How do you approach this? What's the right and wrong thing to say or do? Sam's never known a person with cancer, he doesn't want to upset him or make him angry.

"Guys, stop treating me like I have cancer," Blaine blurts. The three snap their heads up, and even Kurt looks up at him with a shocked face. Blaine's never been one for direct conflict. 

"Wait, you don't have cancer? Did Kurt's unicorn powers save you?" Brittany gasps, her face going blank, leaning forward to whisper the last part. "Be careful, Kurt. The government will experiment on you if they find out," She warns in a hushed tone.

"No, I still have cancer, Brit," Blaine replies. "But, stop acting weird around me. Stop treating me like I'm sick. If I'm going to die, I don't want to spend my last days feeling as if my friends can't talk to me and they're acting weird around me,"

"Blaine, stop talking like that. You know I hate that," Kurt snaps, his brow furrowing with distaste. He didn't want to get into a fight, but he was sick of hearing Blaine talk as if he was giving up.

"I know, I'm sorry," Blaine apologizes, sitting up so he could reach over and put his hand over Kurt's, rubbing the back of it with his thumb. Kurt looks down at the joined hands, and back up at Blaine, but doesn't say anything. 

"What do you want us to treat you like? Whatever you want? I mean-" Sam starts, almost panicked.

"This is what I'm talking about. Santana, you haven't said a sassy thing or a thing at all since you're been in here. Sam, talk to me about the new 'Marvel' movie, I know you went and seen it. Brittany, how's Lord Tubbington, you haven't even mentioned him yet," Blaine explains. "I know I'm sick, but I don't wanna feel sick. I already look sick. Just, please treat me as you did four months ago."

The three exchange a glance before Sam goes back to look at his shoes in guilt. 

"Well, if you want me to say something, you look pale enough to be Caspar the ghost, only you don't look so friendly, you just look like a rich brat. You're skinny enough to fit inside Brittany's uniform and you look like someone just drew circles with purple sharpie under your eyes," Santana remarks, cocking her head to the side with sass. "I'd say more, but I don't wanna talk too much, the air I breathe is enough to knock you over since you weigh as much a five pound dumbbell," Blaine smiles hanging his head down in laughter.  
"Thanks," Blaine chuckles, squeezing Kurt's hand tightly in his own. Santana shrugs.

"Lord Tubbington got married and he didn't even ask me and I'm pretty sure he joined a cult and he's the leader," Brittany says in her usual dumb, blonde voice. Blaine's smile grows.

"You really wanna hear about the new Marvel movie? I could go on for hours about it," Sam smirks, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yes, I wanna hear all about it. Tell me everything from beginning to end so I can tune you out by the time he suits up for the first time," Blaine jokes. Sam's smile grows, as if he's been waiting years for someone to ask him that, and he moves out of the doorway to pull up one of the uncomfortable waiting chairs. The shorter boy was ready to divulge in a conversation, but he could feel Kurt's stare on him. He tried to ignore it at first for the first few scenes, but he couldn't. He looks back over to his boyfriend, and Kurt was definitely staring at him, not even bothering to hide the fact that he was. Santana and Brittany must have given up on conversation with him or they were ignoring him because they were snuggled up against each other, not bothering to acknowledge the fact that Kurt was even in the room, or anyone was. "What?" Blaine asks, staring back and scrunching his eyebrows.

"Nothing, It's just," He pauses, taking a deep breath, deciding if he wanted to say anything at all. "This is the first time you've smiled in the past two days, and it was real," Kurt adds, his smile fading at the realization. Blaine's does too. 

"There are many more to come," He promises, leaning over to press a gentle kiss to Kurt's lips. Sam was too occupied in explaining an explosion to even notice Blaine wasn't paying attention anymore. "I love you," He whispers against his lingering lips.

"I love you more," Kurt says pecking his mouth one more time. Blaine smirks, squeezing Kurt's hand returning to his conversation with Sam while Santana and Brittany sat on the pull out couch against the window, talking aimlessly. This was all too surreal. Everything seemed so quaint and for a minute, Blaine forgot he even had cancer in the first place. It was the first time he's had friends come and visit him and it made everything feel a bit easier and relaxed.

 

It took another hour for them to leave, and Blaine regretted asking Sam to explain the whole movie, considering he just ended up tuning out sooner than he expected. They didn't wanna leave, but Blaine's dinner came for him and Kurt used it as an excuse and shooed them out. 

"Can you lay with me?" Blaine asks, already starting to push away his chicken salad.

"What? Blaine, you just got your dinner. Aren't you hungry?" Kurt asks with worry, plopping himself down on the edge of the bed.

"I know, but I'm not hungry, at all," Blaine shrugs.

"You haven't eaten since breakfast. You need to eat something, Honey," Kurt suggests, rubbing his leg carefully. Blaine sighs loudly, rolling his eyes, which Kurt rolls back. "Eat half of it and I'll lay with you. If you don't, I'll let you nap alone," Kurt crosses his arms over his chest, cocking his head to the side. Blaine groans loudly, tossing his head back. He could never resist Kurt cuddles, eating half a salad was worth it.

"Fine," Blaine agrees, picking up his fork and picking up a piece of chicken and lettuce. Kurt smirks in victory, waiting for Blaine to be finished. 

Kurt talked aimlessly with Blaine until a little over half of his salad was gone and he ate his cottage cheese. Talking to him about Glee club and any new drama within the members, which of course there was plenty of tea to spill. 

"Okay, I'm done. I choked it down, now sleep with me?" Blaine begs, shoving the movable cart away from the bed and opening his arms. Kurt laughs, tossing his head back.  
"Alright, a deal's a deal," Kurt shrugs, crawling in beside his boyfriend and wrapping his arms around him. Blaine smiles, sinking down so his head was resting on his chest, his arms wound tightly around his torso. 

"I've been waiting for this all day," Blaine admits quietly, shutting his eyes, a smile on his face. Kurt chuckles, removing Blaine's beanie and tossing it onto the bedside table and pulling his blanket up further over him. He nuzzles his nose against Kurt's sweater, humming happily and Kurt places a gentle kiss to the top of his bald head. 

 

He slept for almost twenty minutes before he was scrambling from Kurt's sleepy grasp, reaching over him for the trash can beside the bed. Kurt doesn't even process what's going on until the sound of Blaine's retching wakes him up completely. He goes to sit up, but realizes Blaine was lying across him, throwing up. Instead he just rubs his back comfortingly. So much for the chicken salad.

"You're okay," Kurt consoles, helping Blaine hold the trash can up to his face, and trying to adjust so he could comfort him while he threw up. there wasn't much else he could do, until he was reserved to just dry retching. 

"I hate cancer," Blaine mumbles as Kurt sets the trash can back down on the floor and grabbing a couple tissues to wipe Blaine's mouth. 

"Maybe you should tell the doctor about that,"

"I have a tumor in my stomach. All food is gonna make me do that," Blaine grumbles, curling up in Kurt's lap, not bothering to even move beside him. He just pulls the blankets up tighter and hides his face in Kurt, searching for comfort, which of course he finds when Kurt wraps an arm around him and rubs his shoulder and back lovingly. 

"If it gets worse. I'll tell the doctor myself," Kurt warns, raising one eyebrow higher than the other. Blaine just grumbles something unintelligible, hiding further into Kurt, trying to go back to sleep and ignore what just happened like he usually did. "Blaine, will you talk to me?" He gets no response, just Blaine's grip tightening around his boyfriend. "Blaine," Still nothing. Kurt scoffs, rolling his eyes at him, muttering something that goes unheard by Blaine. 

 

-0-

 

Blaine came home a day later, but he was still told to take it easy, but with out chemo, he felt more lively than before he even stepped foot into the hospital, so he was trying to do more than he probably should. The only thing was his mood. He felt fine, but he was always snapping at people and getting angry for no reason because in his head without two weeks of chemotherapy, he was going to die and he didn't want to die, so he was taking it out on everyone else, Cooper and his mom especially, but he's even yelled at Kurt a couple of times. His mother barely even comes in his room anymore because it's always something with him. One time his mother came in and asked if he wanted some coffee, forgetting he couldn't have any and Blaine lost it. He ended up crying when he was finished yelling and just curled up on his bed, bawling his eyes out. Pamela didn't know what to do, so she just shut the door and left him to it.

He was frustrated with the situation and the worst part was that he couldn't do anything about it. Blaine felt powerless. He could just sit in bed or at his desk and finish his homework from his temporary online classes while he felt healthy enough to do them. That was about it. He couldn't do any strenuous work, or activities. He couldn't drive yet, or drink coffee, or eat much sugar. He was suppose to be bed ridden until he was one hundred percent healthy enough to get chemo, but he hated it, so he was more room ridden than anything. 

That's where he was now, sitting at his desk with his laptop open and a notebook beside him. Kurt was lying on his stomach on the bed studying for his Spanish quiz tomorrow.  
His feet were crossed together and in the air and the end of his pen was in his mouth, clicking against his white teeth, and humming gently to a tune Blaine didn't recognize.

This was the last thing he wanted to do. He shouldn't be studying, he should be at the hospital. He hated chemo, but he hated dying even more. These two weeks were going to kill him. He should be at the hospital, getting a chemo IV shoved into his hand so that wouldn't happen, but he has no control over it anymore and that was infuriating, so he was taking it out on everyone else and today he was in one of his moods. 

He knows it was no one's fault, but he has a lot of anger towards the situation and he had no other way to expel it considering he couldn't even box anymore or hit a punching bag for a couple hours to feel a little better.

"What is your problem?" Kurt's voice broke into his thoughts. "You've been tapping your pencil, sighing heavily, and drifting off into space. Even though I appreciate the dramatics, what's wrong?" Kurt looks up from his Spanish book and across to his boyfriend, an un-amused eyebrow raised, and the end of his pen tapping against the side of his head.

"What's wrong? It's like you don't even listen to me," Blaine scoffs, rolling his eyes and turning back to his work, picking his pencil up once more.

"Are you kidding me?" Kurt pulls his head back, sitting back on his knees, almost ready to start a fight. "I always listen to you. That's why we're in a relationship. I've been here for you the entire time," He shakes his head in disbelief.

"I didn't ask you to be!" Blaine shouts, shooting up from his desk chair. 

"What was that?" Kurt gets to his feet, coming closer to his boyfriend, unable to believe his ears, his small smile wiped off his face and his teeth clenched tightly.

"You heard me," Blaine replies, looking Kurt up and down and putting his hands on his hips.

"You did not just say that to me. You asked me and told me not to leave your side! Which I don't unless I have to!" Kurt's voice was rising with every word said, using hand motions even more, which was always a sign he was getting upset.

"Maybe you don't need to be here anymore!" Blaine yells, trying to top Kurt's voice. Kurt's eyes go wide and Blaine starts to regret his words. Kurt scoffs, shaking his head at him, starting to stuff his bag quickly, tears in his eyes. "Kurt-"

"Don't Kurt me, goddammit. If you don't want me here, I don't have to be here," Kurt says, hiking his bag over his shoulder and heading out the door, attempting to shut in Blaine's face but Blaine was already halfway through the door.

"You always do this!" Blaine screams, following him out the door and down the stairs, yelling after him. 

"Do what, Blaine?" Kurt whips around halfway down the stairs, causing Blaine to almost trip over him. Blaine's never seen him so angry before, his blue and grey eyes were filled with rage, and he his jaw clenched. "Be there for you when you're throwing up? Sing you to sleep over the phone on the nights you toss and turn? Sit beside you during chemo and beg to a higher power I don't believe in because I don't wanna see you sick? Hold in my tears until I get home because you needed me to be there for you? Sacrifice everything besides Glee for you? Love you with everything I have in me because I goddamn do. All for what? To be told it's not enough, or you don't want me around anymore? I don't know if it's worth it," 

Blaine stands, a few steps up, speechless. Kurt was right. He's sacrificed school dances, jobs, clubs, and so much more for him, and he's ungrateful, but Blaine wasn't going to back down now. At his words, he was shocked, but now he was angry once more. He's lost so much, he wasn't going to lose a stupid fight now too. He was still capable of yelling at the top of his lungs.

"What else do you want me to do? Throw up for you? Take your spot?" He waits a few seconds, waiting for Blaine to say something. "God! Say something, Blaine! Don't just stand there like a blubbering idiot!"

"I never told you to do any of that. I told you I was fine," Blaine's voice is strong, but quiet. Kurt scoffs, shaking his head and turning back around. 'Shit' Blaine thinks to himself. "You are always beside me and that's the problem, Kurt. You don't even leave me alone anymore! You follow me around like a lost puppy!" He screams after him, following him down the stairs. Kurt shakes his head once more and adjusts the strap on his bag and tries to just ignore him and fight the urge to say something he'll probably regret. "Yeah, just walk away! You always do from your problems! Just run! That's why you ran to Dalton, wasn't it!?" Blaine knew his his words were hurtful, but he stays strong. By now they're in the entryway, in full view of his family sitting at the breakfast bar, who had snapped their heads at the sound of the yelling coming from the staircase.

In an instant, Kurt is spinning around and slapping Blaine's cheek. Blaine's head snaps to the side with a loud smacking sound, his jaw dropping open. Kurt's breathing hard, but he's not done yet.

"You deserved that. Don't ever talk to me like that again. You know better than I do that that's not true," Kurt clenches his jaw, tears gathering in his eyes and falling quickly down his cheeks. He's never said anything like that to him. He's gotten used to hearing it from bullies and people at school, but not Blaine. Blaine was his boyfriend and his best friend. It just hurts hearing it come from the one person he thought would never even think it, let alone say it. Blaine stands emotionless, bringing a hand up to his reddening cheek. "Call me when you're finished being an asshole," 

Kurt looks into his eyes for a few more seconds, waiting for Blaine to say something. Which, of course, he doesn't. Kurt hikes his bag up his shoulder and spins on his heels, leaving through the front door with a loud slam. Blaine lets out a loud yell of frustration before turning back around to see his family watching them intently. 

Cooper was leaning over the breakfast bar with a coffee mug in hand, his eyebrows raised with surprise. His mother was sitting against the counter, just completely shocked at the situation. Even his dad, who was reading the newspaper was shocked to see them fight. None of them had ever seen them fight, and Kurt has never hit Blaine and Blaine has never hit Kurt, but he deserved it this time. They didn't fight often and usually it was a quick fight and make up thing, but Blaine thinks it might be different this time around. 

The former Warbler was breathing rapidly, staring at his family. That did not just happen. Their fights have not gotten that bad and Blaine has never said anything like that before.  
"What are you staring at?" Blaine snaps, rolling his eyes and hiking up the stairs to his bedroom, slamming the door as he walked through it. He runs his hands over his head, removing his beanie as he did so, and falling down against his dark blue, plaid bedspread, staring up at the wood paneling on the ceiling. 

He really did just said something that Kurt's bullies used to taunt him for. He was just as bad as them. It was something he knew would get to Kurt, so he said it with out thinking and now he was probably feeling worse than Blaine was right now. He lets out a deep breath, shutting his eyes tight to let himself think. 

Kurt was right. He's always been there for him, no matter what it was and Blaine just told him to leave and he didn't need him, but truth was, he did need him. He needed him and wanted him there for him, right by his side, through everything. He doesn't even want him to leave, but Blaine just pushed him away so far, he doesn't even know if he'll want to come back. Maybe he should just wait a little bit for Kurt to also cool down so they could talk. 

"I fucked up," Blaine whispers to himself, curling up on his side, tucking his knees up to his chest, tears starting to fall down his cheeks. The more he thought about the situation, the faster his tears fell and the louder his sobs became, shaking his entire body. 

 

It took almost twice as long as it usually did for Kurt to get back home. Having to stop twice to wipe at his tears and calm down set him back almost another hour. The salted tears were making it hard to see and his hands were shaking too bad for him to actually steer correctly. No matter how mad or upset he was, it wasn't worth getting into a crash over. 

He wasn't about to die because of something Blaine said. Given, it was something he figured would never come from Blaine's mouth, and things like that were reserved for bullies at school, but it still wasn't worth dying for. Blaine was just upset and hopefully this will all blow over soon enough. 

By the time he gets home, rain is pelting his windows and hail is smacking against the top of his Navigator, a few bolts of lightning and claps of thunder in the now dark sky. It was only five in the afternoon, but the storm was filling the sky with dark grays and blacks. 

Checking his reflection in his rear-view mirror, he saw the now dark red tears tracks and starts to wipe angrily at them, trying to get rid of the ugly marks. He really didn't wanna have to sit there and explain to his parents and Finn what happened and how he didn't know if Blaine was coming back to him. He seemed really angry and Kurt had even slapped him in the face, hard. Why would he come back? No matter how many hurtful things Blaine said, he promised he would never, ever lay a hand on him, and Blaine had done the same, but now he was regretting it, but still knowing he deserved it.

Kurt rolls his eyes at himself, grabbing his bag from the passenger seat and unbuckling his seat belt. He was sitting here wallowing in a bawl of self pity. It was pathetic. He groans out loud, taking his keys from the ignition and opening up his door, ready to run through the rain and hail. He gets his house key ready and jumps out, shutting the car door behind him. He hunches his shoulders to try and duck his head down as far as he can and runs up the porch steps, quickly shoving his key inside the deadbolt lock before pushing the front door open. 

"Where've you been, Kurt?" Burt asks from his regular recliner, his brow furrowed in concentration, studying the TV screen, and the remote brought up to his lips. 

"Blaine's," Kurt replies, a firm frown on his face at the mention of his irritable and impossible boyfriend. He shuts the door behind him, making sure to lock the deadbolt back up. 

Burt's face goes from one to concentration to one of confusion. Whenever Blaine's name would even be mentioned, Kurt would go into a spiral about their day, and now he doesn't even say more than a word. "That storm came out of nowhere," Kurt adds with a dark sigh, removing his jacket and hanging it up on it's rightful hook. 

"Yeah, it did," Burt replies, looking to Carole, who just shrugged, noticing Kurt's behavior as well. "How was Blaine's?" He asks, as Kurt was removing his boots and setting them beside the others. Kurt goes stiff, choosing his next words, or lack of words carefully. He just shrugs, hanging his bag up. Carole nudges her husband, her eyes wide with worry for her son now. It was Burt's turn to shrug his shoulders, not having an explanation for Kurt's behavior. 

"Are you alright, sweetie?" Carole asks. Kurt was brushing off his shirt, trying to get rid of some leaked water and hidden hail blocks, he stops, his eyes slowly moving to his parents. They were practically staring at him, but it was all out of concern. Kurt's arms drop down to his sides and his facade is over. He tries to remain calm, but he couldn't. 

"Blaine and I got into a fight," Kurt swallows thickly, crossing his arms over his chest, trying to curl in on himself. The two adults exchange a knowing look and Carole pats the empty seat beside her. Kurt plops himself down and Carole opens her arms for him, just as Kurt's tears started to fall rapidly down his cheeks and to his lips. Carole looks back to Burt, still petting Kurt's head carefully. Burt's face is full of sympathy. 

"What'd he say, Kurt?" Carole asks, resting her cheeks against the top of his wet head of hair. 

"He said that he didn't need me there anymore and he never asked me to be there," Kurt chokes out. Carole's eyes go wide. That is so unlike Blaine. 

"Oh, sweetheart," She coos.

"He told me that I run from my problems and it's so like me to just leave with out any words, and-and I slapped him," Kurt admits, his sobs growing louder at the memory of Kurt smacking his boyfriend across the face. 

"He deserved it!" Burt's reply is quick, and Carole had to smack him on the arm, mouthing something along the lines of 'Not now!'. Burt just shrugged helplessly. No one talked to his boy like that, not even Blaine. No matter how much Burt loved the kid, there was no way he was getting away with that one. Kurt was one of the strongest kids he knew and he wasn't just saying that as his dad, but as a person.

"You guys will make up, just like you always do," Carole tells him, petting his head gingerly, like he always liked when he was upset or hurting. 

"I don't know, I just called him an asshole, then left. I've never seen him so upset before. I don't think I've ever been that upset before," Kurt admits weakly into Carole's shoulder, letting his step-mom hold him tightly. 

"You will, you guys will be fine," She comforts. 

"Should I go beat his ass for you?" Burt asks with a heavy sigh, only half joking around. Kurt laughs.

"He has cancer, Dad," He chuckles, sniffling back his tears so he could talk.

"You didn't have a problem hitting him," Burt shrugs. He was hoping he wouldn't make Kurt too upset by saying that, and luckily it didn't. It just made him laugh loudly into Carole's sweater. 

"I feel horrible, but it felt pretty good," 

The three of them laugh, making Kurt calm down enough to pull back from Carole's tight embrace. Carole reaches across the coffee table, handing Kurt the box of tissues.

"Thank you," Kurt sniffles, grabbing a couple and dabbing at his under eyes to get rid of the moisture and redness from crying so much today. 

"How about we make you a cup of hot chocolate, and we can watch a movie before you go to bed," Carole suggests, rubbing Kurt's arm in a motherly way. Burt smiles in admiration. Carole was always good with these things when either of the boys came home upset. She would always offer hot cocoa and a movie and usually they would say yes, but tonight was different.

"No, I think I'm just gonna head up to bed. I'm exhausted and I just wanna sleep it off. Maybe he'll call me tomorrow morning, or I might go over there," Kurt sighs heavily, studying his hands.

"Okay, whatever you want," She gives him a reassuring smile, which he returns. He gets back to his feet.

"Thank you guys. I love you and I'll see you in the morning," He sniffs, his face still stained red as he spins around hiking up the staircase and to his bedroom. He hears the faint calls of his parents repeating the statement back to him, but he didn't have the energy to care.

Without stopping, he starts to strip himself of his clothes, discarding them across the floor, for once, not caring where they land. By the time he reaches his en suite bathroom he shares with Finn, he's down to his boxers. Letting out a deep, heavy breath, he switches on the shower, turning the hot water on full. He removes his boxers next, testing the water with his finger tips. 

When he's satisfied with the temperature, he steps in, letting the hot water cascade over his face, wetting his hair and sending his body into shivers with pleasure. All he wanted were some cuddles with his boyfriend, but his boyfriend was the problem and the entire reason he was upset in the first place. 

He rolls his eyes at himself, grabbing the shampoo and lathering his hair with it, rubbing it in generously. This was just what he needed some hot water and a head massage, even if he was giving it to himself. 

He cleans himself slowly, wanting to enjoy the steady stream of water and the way his lungs started to struggle a little due to the build up of steam clogging the air. The tall auburn stays in until the water turns cold, and even then he has to force himself out to grab a towel and wrap it around his waist, humming as he searched his dressers for pajamas.

"You and Blaine got into a fight?" Finn's deep voice in his doorway made Kurt jump back almost a foot, gripping at his towel when it started to fall from his hips. 

"Jesus, Finn. Again with the knocking," Kurt rolls his eyes, looking in his dresser drawers again.

"Sorry," Finn chuckles, stuffing his hands in his pockets, his thumbs hanging out the side of his blue jeans. He looks around Kurt's room. It was almost in it's usual clean state, but there were now dirty clothes littering the light colored carpet. "He must have really pissed you off if you're leaving clothes all of the place,"

"What?" Kurt turns at his hips, a pair of dark grey pajama pants in hand. He looks at the dirtied floor and roll his eyes, at himself this time. 

"You wanna talk about it?" He suggests as Kurt leaves to the bathroom to throw on his pjs. 

"No, not really," 

"Oh, okay," Finn sounds a bit disappointed and Kurt can't help but feel bad. At the sound of footsteps starting to fade, Kurt speaks up again.

"I slapped him," Kurt says, combing his hair back into a wet coif to get it out of his face.

"You hit him?" Kurt can't see him from the bathroom, but he knows his brother well enough to know his jaw has probably hit the floor.

"Yeah, I did, but he said some things that triggered me. It was stupid, but I don't know what's going on. I told him to call me and he hasn't. I don't know if he even wants to make up," He shrugs, tossing his comb against the counter with a clank and leaning against the light grey colored counter top. 

"He'll call eventually," 

Kurt rolls his eyes once more. "Oh yeah? And what makes you say that?" He sighs, switching off the bathroom light, but leaving the door open to get rid of some of the steam filling the small room. He leans down, picking up his dirty clothes from earlier when Finn starts talking again.

"It's Blaine. He was probably just upset and said something he didn't mean. He does have cancer," Finn shrugs.

"You know, he always says he doesn't want people to treat him differently for it and at first I didn't understand, but now I do. He gets away with everything, like making me feel like a shitty person, but it's okay because he has cancer," Kurt scoffs, shoving his clothes into his hamper beside the bathroom door.

"I don't know a lot about cancer, but I do know that it messes with your head. It can make you feel bad and get you down, and we all know that when we're upset, we say stupid things," Finn explains, leaning his shoulder against Kurt's bedroom doorway. Kurt groans loudly.

"When did you get so reasonable?" 

"When you told me I'm going places," Finn chuckles, ducking his head slightly. That brings a smile to Kurt's face.

"Well, take your wisdom someplace else. I'm going to sleep," Kurt says, tossing his decorative pillows onto the floor. Finn's smile grows.

"Goodnight, Kurt,"

"Goodnight, Finn," 

Finn gave him one last smile before heading out the door and down the hall to his own bedroom. Kurt pulls the back the covers on his bed, shutting off his bedside light and curling up against his pillow, trying to fall asleep, but it was hard with their fight still fresh in mind.

 

When Blaine woke, it was pitch black outside, with rain pelting his windows hard, his curtains still pulled open from earlier in the day, but the dark blue blanket from the end of the bed was pulled over him. He groans quietly, stuffing his face against his pillow. He had no idea what time it is, but he did know that he had a pounding headache and he missed Kurt. 

"I need to apologize," Blaine whispers to himself. He looks up from his pillow, grabbing his phone from his nightstand. Taking a nap and crying himself to sleep cleared his head and made him realize just how much of an asshole he was and how much he deserved that slap. Not noticing how late it was, he dialed Kurt's number, hoping he'd answer quickly. "Please pick up," He runs a hand over his face. After one ring, he started to hear 'Teenage Dream' play from the base of his bed. He scrunches his face in confusion, turning towards the source. 

Kurt's phone was sitting at the end of his bed, the screen lighting up with Blaine's name. He must really be mad. Kurt never forgets his phone and the few times he does, he always comes back to get it. Blaine snatches it up, hanging up on his end of the call. 

"Shit," he whispers, finally noticing the time on Kurt's home screen. '3:33 AM' "Shit," He repeats under his breath. He quickly rose to his feet, slipping on his dark blue boat shoes and snatching up his beanie that had fallen off during sleep and stuffing both his and Kurt's phones into his pocket. He grabs a sweatshirt from his desk chair, pulling it over his head. He goes to grab his keys from their usual spot on his nightstand, but of course they're gone. He's not suppose to drive. "Shit," He says again, running a hand over his head. He needs to get to Kurt's house. The time of the night didn't matter, because it's Kurt and he always came first. "Cooper," The idea hits Blaine instantly and he's soon rushing across the hall to his brother's room. Blaine doesn't bother with the light and just kneels down beside him, shaking his shoulder awake. 

He was lying flat on his stomach with his arms brought up under his pillow. His shirt was missing and the comforter was falling to the bottom of his back. Loud snores were escaping his lips, and Blaine fought the urge just to smack the back of his head to wake him up.

"Cooper, get up. I need you," Blaine says, shaking him harder when he just snuggles against his pillow. Cooper grumbles. "Cooper, get up," Blaine repeats, shaking him harder, almost sliding him to the other pillow. 

"Blaine, what are you doing?" Cooper asks, his voice muffled by sleep, his eyes barely open enough to see. 

"I need you to take me to Kurt's," 

"It's the middle of the night, what do you mean?" 

"I need to apologize and beg for his forgiveness," Blaine rolls his eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

"You can wait until tomorrow," Cooper says, turning over on his side and pulling his blankets up. Blaine groans loudly, getting back to his feet and ripping the blankets off of him, making them fall to the floor and revealing his boxer clad bottom half.

"No, I can't. Now get up so you can take me,"

"Blaine, you're not even suppose to be out of bed, let alone go outside in the storm," Cooper grumbles, putting a hand over his forehead. 

"If you don't take me, I will take your keys and drive myself, and if you don't want me out of bed, you do not want me driving. Doctor said he doesn't want me driving 'til I'm in remission. I'll tell you again. Get up, you're taking me to Kurt's," Blaine says in a more forceful tone. His older brother opens his eyes, squinting at his brother with annoyance.  
"Fine, grab my jeans from the end of the bed," Cooper orders, sitting up and grabbing the t-shirt from yesterday off the floor, slipping it over his head. Blaine cheers silently, throwing the dark, faded jeans to his brother. "You're so lucky I love you," Cooper grumbles, catching the pants and sliding into them.

"Yeah, yeah," Blaine waves his hand, grabbing the car keys from the nightstand and tossing them to Cooper, who just rolled his eyes, following his brother out the door and down the stairs. 

As they passed the kitchen, Cooper checked the time written on the stove in glowing green numbers. 

"It's a quarter to four in the morning!" He whisper shouts, stopping in tracks, which makes Blaine turn back towards him.

"So?"

"So? Are you insane? I'm not driving you this late in the night," Cooper crosses his arms over his chest in protest.

"Then give me the keys," Blaine says opening his hand, palm up and walking back towards him. 

"No!" 

"Then I'll walk," Blaine shrugs, throwing his hood over his head and heading back for the door. 

"No you won't," Cooper challenges, pulling back, one eyebrow raised higher than the other.

"Yes, I will," Blaine chuckles. "You really don't know me then," He adds, shaking his head, pulling the front door open. Just as he was about to close it, Cooper's footsteps were following him, with a loud grumble. Blaine smiles in victory, hopping in the passenger side of Cooper's black Mercedes. Cooper ducks his head to try and hide from the rain as he rushed to the driver's side. 

"I can't believe we're doing this," Cooper mumbles, starting the car and pulling from the driveway. 

"Yeah, me neither. He might not even accept my apology," Blaine worries, resting his elbow on the edge of the window, biting at his fingernails.

"He really means a lot you, doesn't he?" Cooper eyes his brother carefully, starting down their street, one hand on the steering wheel and the other on resting on the door.

"Everything. He means everything to me. I don't know what I'd do if I lost him, Coop," Blaine admits with a heavy sigh, shaking his head at the thought, trying to get rid of the thought all together. 

"Look, I don't know Kurt very well, I mean I've only been here for a few months, but I do know you mean everything to him too," Cooper replies, noticing how worked up his brother really was. 

"Yeah, is that why he slapped me?"

"Yeah, it is. If someone said that to me, I would have slapped them too, only I wouldn't give them opportunity to call later," Blaine doesn't say anything, and Cooper knew he was feeling even more guilty than before, so he continued. "But, he did. This relationship isn't over, Blaine. Kurt isn't one to give up, especially on you. If he did, he would have given up a few months ago when you found out you had cancer," His little brother just looks down at his hands, playing with his thumbs. Cooper doesn't say anything after that. They just sit in silence until they reach Lima.

 

"Good luck," Cooper says once the car is in park and sitting next to Finn's old, beat up truck. 

"Thanks," Blaine replies, not taking his eyes off the house in front of them. Cooper pats him on the back and Blaine hops out, pulling his hood over his head to protect himself from the rain. He started for the door, but knew that would wake everyone up, so instead, as cliche as it was, he went to Kurt's bedroom window. He searched for any pebbles and grabbed what he could, hurling them at the glass, praying that they wouldn't crack the glass. That wouldn't be the best apology. 

"Come on, Kurt," Blaine whispers, already out of breath from throwing three of them up that far. He was just surprised he was hitting it every time and didn't hit Finn's window who was right beside Kurt's. He goes to throw a fourth, but the window is now opened to reveal a sleep stricken Kurt. He didn't stick his head out, due to the rain, but he did look out of it.

"Blaine? What the hell are you doing here?" Kurt snaps, crossing his arms over himself to try and keep in the warmth. 

"Let me in?" Blaine begs, ignoring Kurt's question. Kurt sighs heavily, rolling his eyes, but nodding. 

"Meet me at the front door, and keep warm," Kurt instructs, shutting his window and with that, Blaine hurried towards the front door once more. He took a few minutes, but soon Kurt was standing before him. He was still wearing his dark grey satin pajamas, and his hair was messy from sleep and maybe still a bit damp from a shower. "Blaine-"

"No, you're going to hear me out,"

"Let's just-"

"Kurt, I am so sorry. I was such an ass, and you're right, I did deserve that slap," At the mention of it, Kurt visibly cringes, but Blaine ignores it. "I have been so ungrateful for everything you've done for me and how much you've given up for me. I love you and I hope you know that. I need you with me, I was wrong and just said it out of anger. It was stupid and I didn't mean anything by it. I was angry and I shouldn't have taken it out on you, I do need you beside me and that's where you've been and I just miss you. I know that sounds dumb because it's only been like six hours, but I miss you and I just want your forgiveness. You've been the only person who's never treated me differently since my diagnosis, and I am so thankful for that. I'm so sorry, Kurt," Blaine rambles on, rain hitting his hoodie and echoing into his ears. He was freezing, but he was going to get this out before Kurt turned away. Kurt sighs heavily, deciding whether to forgive him or not. "Please," He adds. Kurt rolls his eyes.

"Fine," Kurt leans forwards, into the rain and cups Blaine's cheeks in his palms, pressing an open mouth kiss to his own. Blaine wraps his arms around Kurt's waist on instinct, pulling him as close as he can to his own body. Kurt chuckles lightly, it rumbling in his throat. "I love you," Kurt says once they've pulled back, pressing his forehead against Blaine's.

"I love you too," Blaine smiles. 

"Now let's get you in so you don't get sick, again," Kurt says pecking his lips quickly and pulling on his hand.

"Let me go tell Cooper that I'm staying," Blaine says quickly, rushing over to the Mercedes parked in their driveway. Kurt must have missed it all together. Blaine knocks on the window, interrupting Cooper from his iPhone game. He rolls the window down at the sight of his brother, a smile on his face when he notices how bright Blaine looked. "I'm going to stay the night. I'll text you in the morning," Blaine says, shoving his hands into his hoodie pocket.

"Okay, just use protection," Cooper winks. Blaine visibly turns red, rolling his eyes at his older brother. "I love you, Blaine,"

"Love you too, Coop," He shakes his head, and waves Cooper off, rushing back to the Hummel house. 

When he got in, Kurt was at the kitchen table, warming up some hot cocoa for the both of them. Blaine's smile grows at the sight. He toes his shoes off, setting them nicely by the others and removes his hoodie, but leaves his beanie on. He reaches the kitchen, pressing a warm kiss to Kurt's cheek. Kurt turns to look at him, with the same dopey grin, but it's gone in an instant when he notices the slight red spot on his left cheek. 

"Oh my god! I did that," Kurt exclaims, probably louder than he should have, his blue-green and grey eyes filling with worry. He brings his hand up to touch the spot, and Blaine's grin fades.

"It's not that bad," Blaine assures him, wrapping an hand around Kurt's wrist, rubbing at the skin gently. 

"Not that bad? Look at it, Blaine," Kurt says, running his thumb across the reddened area. "I am so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. It was stupid. I never should have hit you,"

"Yeah, you should have, I deserved it,"

"No, you didn't. I was upset and I did the first thing that came to my mind. Oh god," Kurt whispers the last part, planting a soft kiss to his cheek, his lips lingering there. 

"Kurt, it's fine," Blaine promises, once he's pulled back. Kurt nods slowly, letting his forehead rest against Blaine's.

"Let's go get you some warm clothes. You must be freezing," Kurt says quietly. Blaine smiles a little. 

"Yeah, it is pretty cold out there," Blaine chuckles. Kurt smiles, planting one more kiss to his forehead before leaving up the stairs. Blaine sits down at the dining table, taking one of the hot cocoa mugs. He blows on it to get rid of the extreme temperature before taking a long sip, cringing at how hot it still was. 

A few minutes later, Kurt was coming down the stairs with a stack of clothes in hand. 

"They might be a bit big, but they'll work," Kurt shrugs, handing them to his boyfriend to change into. 

"Thanks," Blaine gives him a small smirk before leaving for the downstairs bathroom. He changes from his wet jeans and t-shirt and into a pair of dark red pajama bottoms, that he had to roll up just a bit and cinch the waist in quite a bit, and a dark grey t-shirt that was a size too big, but Blaine found it cozy. He sets his wet clothes over the bath tub side and headed back to the kitchen. Kurt was sitting at the table, sipping from his mug, a package of double stuffed Oreo's beside him and one in hand. Blaine coughs to get Kurt's attention. Kurt instantly turns to look at his boyfriend and has to bite back giggles. 

"You're swimming in them!" Kurt laughs, looking Blaine up and down as Blaine spins around and strikes a pose. 

"I know!" Blaine laughs, putting his hands on his hips and looking off as if he was a model. Kurt laughs, patting the seat beside him. With a smile still planted firmly on his face, Blaine sits in the dining chair, putting his feet in Kurt's lap. Kurt playfully rolls his eyes but still rests an arm over his crossed calves. 

"You know, it's totally Ohio to rain in the middle of November," Kurt mutters. 

"Yup, another reason to leave this place. Unpredictable weather!" Blaine jokes, making Kurt smile and even laugh a little.

"Cookie?" Kurt offers scooting the package towards him. 

"No, I'm good," Blaine replies, taking a long drink from his mug. Kurt's smile fades and turns serious. 

"Blaine, can I ask you something?" Kurt asks, dunking his Oreo into his chocolate.

"Of course," Blaine shrugs, nursing his mug in his hands, now enjoying how the hot temperature falling down his throat, starting to warm him up.

"How much weight have you lost?" Kurt asks, looking up from his mug, another cookie in hand. Blaine shifts uncomfortably.

"Not much," He shrugs his shoulders, hiding his face in his mug. "How's Glee been?" He's trying to change the subject, because if Kurt really knew how much he weighed, he would flip and probably call 911 in a flash. 

"Blaine, don't change the subject. I wanna know," Kurt insists through a mouthful of cookie. 

"No, you don't,"

"Yes, I do," Kurt nods, rubbing Blaine's calf gently to try and persuade him as best as he could.

"I've lost around twenty pounds," Blaine mutters, not meeting Kurt's eyes and instead finding interest in his cocoa. He missed the way Kurt's eyes went wide with fear and the way he stopped dunking his Oreo to stare at his boyfriend.

"Blaine-"

"I don't wanna talk about it," Blaine replies softly, biting his bottom lip.

"I don't care. You need to talk to your doctor. Is it because of the throwing up?" Kurt's really trying to understand. He wants to understand.

"The throwing up, the way the look of food makes me want to throw up, the way my stomach aches most days and after I've had a meal. The list goes on," Blaine snaps, sighing heavily with embarrassment.

"Blaine, you should tell your doctor. With all this weight gone so fast, you're gonna black out one day, and-"

"No, it's fine. Can we go to bed now?" Blaine asks, setting his half empty mug back on the dining table. 

"Blaine-"

"Kurt, please," Blaine begs, finally looking to Kurt's eyes, his best puppy dog face on. Kurt sighs heavily, but nods. Blaine's shoulders relax with relief. He slides his legs off off Kurt's lap and brings his mug to the sink. Kurt does the same, putting the cookies back into the cupboard. 

"You know I love you, right?" Kurt asks, tugging on Blaine's arm, who was already starting up the stairs. Blaine smiles.

"I hear it sometimes," He jokes, leaning in for a quick kiss. Kurt smiles a little, following Blaine up the stairs and into Kurt's bedroom. The bed was already unmade, so Blaine just crawls in, snuggling against the pillow. Kurt's smile grows with admiration, sliding in beside him. He brings the covers up to his shoulders, reaching out just to switch the light off. Blaine rolls over on his side, and Kurt comes up behind him, becoming the big spoon. Blaine was usually the big spoon, but with how sick he's been, Kurt took on that role to comfort him and hold him when he needed it. Kurt presses a soft kiss to the back of his head after throwing the beanie off to the side, much to Blaine's dismay, because he was still quite subconscious about the fact he had no hair. 

"Goodnight, Kurt," Blaine sighs contently, pressing a kiss to the back of his hand.

"Night," Kurt mumbles nuzzling his nose against Blaine's pillow.


	6. Chapter Six: Thanksgiving

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a hot minute. I was gone on a trip thing this week, but I'm back, and I'm ready to continue and make these updates more regular! Are you ready for some more? Well, here it is!

"One hot chocolate for you, and a non-fat mocha for me," Kurt says, setting the small sized paper cup in front of Blaine and taking a seat across from him. They weren't at their normal table this time. They were instead sitting in the middle of the room where they had a circle of living styled chairs of all the sorts and a small coffee table in the center. Nick, Jeff, Wes, and David were supposed to come and meet them for coffee any minute, and there was no way all six of them were going to fit at the small, two person table on the far end of the building.

"Thank you, sir," Blaine smiles brightly, taking a sip to test the temperature, and it was just right, not too hot and not too cold.

"Of course," Kurt replies, crossing one leg over the other and nestling his coffee between his legs.

"So, catch me up on the Glee club drama, I wanna know it all," Blaine divulges, leaning back in his seat, trying to gather it's warmth. Tomorrow was Thanksgiving, finally, and Blaine was already always cold, but with the dropped temperatures and sprinkles of snow, he wasn't just cold anymore. He was freezing.

"Well, Schue wants to do musicals for Regionals this year, and as much as I love my Broadway, it won't win us that trophy. The members agree with me and thinks we might as well be throwing away the trophy. Then there's a new foreign exchange student, and he a nice accent but-"

"Are you crushing on him?" Blaine's eyes go wide.

"BUT- He's not my type, he's kinda strange, but he has a nice voice," Kurt playfully rolls his eyes, drinking from his cup. Blaine relaxes, his cheeks turning to a pink tint. "Rachel is going ballistic and thinks that she deserves the solo again, and she wants to do a duet with Finn, but everyone keeps telling her she's delusional," Kurt mutters with a deep sigh.

"Why don't you take the solo?" Blaine asks, a small smirk on his lips and his head cocking to the side.

"Because, people don't acknowledge my talent. You wanna come in and make my case?" Kurt teases. Blaine chuckles, shaking his head playfully. "I think Schue was planning on you to take a solo because for once he seems lost on who to give it to,"

"Me?"

"Yes, you. He mentioned something about losing his first choice this year, and you're the only one that's left," Kurt shrugs, trying to hide his hint of jealously. He had been in the Glee club since the beginning and he still hasn't been able to sing a solo at a performance, but Blaine walks in this year and now Schue is ready to give him one. Blaine's smile fades, and he just nudges Kurt's foot with his own, making Kurt look up. "Anyway, you're still coming over for Thanksgiving tomorrow, right?"

"Oh," Blaine's smile is gone, suddenly finding interest in his paper cup, tracing the outline of the logo on the front. "No, I can't. My mom wants to do Thanksgiving this year. It's stupid,"

"You haven't done Thanksgiving as a family in like five years," Kurt replies, his perfectly shaped brows furrowing with confusion.

"I think my mom's just paranoid," Blaine shrugs his shoulders, rolling his eyes to show how stupid he thought it was and how he wished he could blow it off. Last year he had Thanksgiving at the Hummel's and he's never had a better holiday. He watched football with Burt and Finn and set the table for Carole, and had even helped Kurt do dishes which ended in a water fight involving a sprayer.

"Paranoid about what?" Kurt goes stiff at the possibilities, his head turning to the side, and his lips pursing together.

"I-" He takes a heavy breath, trying to find the right words. "I think she's paranoid this will be my last Thanksgiving, so she's trying to make it up to me," Blaine shrugs once more, shaking his head as if it was no big deal.

"What? No, we still have to invite both our families together for a Thanksgiving together in our shared apartment one year, and it'll probably all go wrong, like Finn will bring Rachel, who will say she won't go with out her dads, then that's three more people. My dad will probably drop the stuffing, and you'll probably mess up the turkey and we'll end up just ordering pizza and laughing about it later, all while I was trying to impress your parents, to try and get them to like me," Kurt jokes, his small smile returning to his face as if it was obvious. Blaine laughs, hanging his head down.

"Of course, then me and you will probably just leave them to it and we'll go to dinner somewhere down on fourteenth street, and have a candle lit dinner. I'll try to calm you down and tell you my parents opinions don't matter because I think you're perfect," Blaine adds. Kurt throws his head back with laughter.

"Sounds perfect," He says, his laughter dying down. Blaine leans forwards, holding his hand out and Kurt meets him, leaning over himself to press a gentle kiss to Blaine's lips.   
"I wouldn't wanna fail Thanksgiving with anyone else,"

"Me neither," Kurt sighs contently, rubbing his nose against Blaine's before pulling back before the entire coffee shop was staring at the two.

"There they are!" A loud voice, that the two former Warbler's knew to be Nick's, was sounding through the cafe. It was a miracle that everyone didn't stop their conversations and weren't staring at him like he was crazy. He releases Jeff's hand to rush over to couple, wrapping his arms around Blaine's shoulders from behind.

"Watch the cocoa!" Blaine laughs, holding his cup out to try and avoid disaster.

"Yeah, yeah," Nicks chuckles, playfully rolling his eyes and swinging him from side to side.

"Hi, Nick," Blaine says with playful annoyance.

"Hey," He finally lets the bald boy go and instead just pulls off his light grey beanie, rubbing his hand over Blaine's head.

"Jesus, Nick. We cannot leave you for two seconds," David jokes, finally joining the four with Wes's hand holding onto his tightly.

"You guys should know better," Nick laughs, putting Blaine's beanie back over his head, and almost over his eyes. Blaine scoffs jokingly, adjusting his hat once more.

"Do you guys want some coffee? I can get it," Jeff offers, patting Kurt's shoulder in a hello.

"Yeah, a cappuccino for me," David requests, taking a seat on the couch beside Kurt's chair and Wes sits beside him, finally letting his hand go.

"Black," Wes requests, leaning back in seat, loosening his tie a little.

"You know what I get," Nick says, plopping down in the chair beside Blaine's, putting his hands behind his head, letting go only in a way Warblers did when they weren't at Dalton. Jeff nods, heading off for the front counter, his hands in his pockets, digging for his wallet.

"Blaine, you fit being bald. I never thought I'd say that because of your Borat like curls, but you look good," Wes says, staring up at Blaine's hat covered head.

"I think you look like Gollum," David says his smile obviously teasing, which made Blaine rolls his eyes at him in the same way.

"Thanks, David," Blaine sighs heavily, taking another drink from his cup.

"We don't get to see you very often anymore, so we have to tease you," David jokes, a bright smile on his face. The former Warbler nods in agreement.

"Speaking of not being able to see you, we wanted to ask you something," Wes says, nudging David lightly as a reminder.

"Both of you actually," Nick says, eyeing Kurt, who was just sitting in his red leather chair, enjoying his non-fat mocha.

"What?" Kurt asks, furrowing his brow with confusion. By now Jeff was coming around, handing out the three coffees to the other Warblers, and taking a seat next to Wes on the three seated couch.

"Well, for Thanksgiving we always do this charity type thing and we wanted you guys to be in it with us. We go over to nursing home and we sing a few songs, just so the people who don't really have visitors can have some company during the holidays," Wes explains. "I'm sure you remember it, Blaine,"

"Yeah, of course I do, but there's no way I can do those dance routines. I just had a fever last week," Blaine sighs heavily, his excited smile now gone.

"We will get you a stool to sit on. The only muscles you'll have to use are your vocal chords," Jeff says, trying to persuade his friend into doing the gig with them.

"Or, we can always snag you a wheelchair," Nick winks, making Blaine roll his eyes playfully.

"What do you say?" Blaine asks, looking over to Kurt as if he was the final decision.

"I'd love to, but we both have to be home for dinner," Kurt shrugs.

"We only do it in the morning, so you guys will be fine," Wes persuades, sitting on the edge of his seat for their answer. Blaine sighs heavily.

"Alright, yeah. We'll do it, I don't have chemo for another six days, so we're free," Blaine's smile grows, looking over to Kurt, who was just happy Blaine was smiling again and willing to sing again.

"Yes!" Nick cheers, high-fiving David.

"Alright! It'll just be the four of us, Thad, Trent, and Seb," David smiles, saying the last name quietly. Blaine looks back to Kurt.

"You okay with that?" Blaine asks, raising one eyebrow higher than the other, his smile fading just a tad.

"I'll be decent as long as he is," Kurt replies, crossing his arms over his chest and putting on his best sass face.

"I swear, the holidays just bring something out in Seb. He's weirdly kind from thanksgiving until New Year," Wes jokes, looking the other three for back up, which the three of them nodded at, agreeing that it was true.

"What time do we need to be there?" Blaine asks, a smirk on his face at the idea of singing and performing again. He's missed it like crazy.

"We'll pick you up at eight A.M sharp,"

 

-0-

 

When Blaine woke up the next morning, he almost considered skipping out on the Warblers and just staying in bed. He woke up with a headache and his head swimming in circles, making him feel light headed, but he shook it off and threw his feet off the edge of the bed anyway. He didn't have time to waste, the Warbler's were suppose to be here in less than a half hour to pick him up, because he of course hit the snooze button one too many times.

He dragged himself up pushing off his bed to get to his feet. He was about to take his first step, but a wave of dizziness washed over him. Sitting himself back down to get himself together, he took a few deep breaths.

"Just got up too fast," He tells himself, swallowing the lump in his throat. Blaine took a few minutes to gather himself before he tried again, this time being successful in making it to his closet.

Once he's picked out a pair of red skinny jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt, he headed to the bathroom to throw them on.

He never dressed like this anymore. He always felt too worn from chemo and from being sick, that he usually wore hoodies and t-shirts. Sweatpants were always best as well because with the weight he's lost over the past few months, they were the only things that would fit because of the drawstring, but it was Thanksgiving, and he always dressed up for the holidays. Usually, they were themed, but there was no way he was going to fit into his orange skinny jeans because they were big on him before.

Looking at himself in the mirror, he almost turned back around and went to back to bed. He had dark bags under his eyes that he would have to try and cover up, his cheeks were a bit sunken in, more than usual, he was paler than normal, and his hands were almost shaking. He ignored his reflection though and kept going on with his routine.

Considering he didn't have any hair anymore, getting ready in the morning was easier. He just brushed his teeth and threw on a hat. Today, his choice was a plain, dark red beanie that Kurt had gotten him at the mall on the first day he went bald. The former Warbler grabbed his phone from his bedside table, unplugging it from it's charger, and slipping into his pair of white Tom's.

"The boys are here, Blaine!" His mother's voice rings through the house from the bottom of the stairs.

"Coming!" Blaine yells back, finishing his shoe lace and jumping up. By the time he got to his door, he had to take a step back and recollect himself. The dizziness was back. "I've gotta stop that," He chuckles to himself, shaking it off and rushing down the stairs.

When he got downstairs, his mother was standing by the door, chatting idly with Trent and Wes.

"There he is!" Trent exclaims, a bright smile on his face, just like usual.

"Hey," Blaine cheers, wrapping the Warbler in a hug. Trent was suppose to join them for coffee the previous day, but something came up and he couldn't make it, so it's been awhile since they've seen each other.

"Bald suits you," Trent teases, looking up at Blaine's head.

"Thanks," Blaine chuckles running a hand over his head, mindful of the beanie.

"You ready?" Wes asks, his hands shoved deep inside his khaki pants.

"Yes, yes I am," The former Warbler says, grabbing his heavy jacket from the hook beside the door and slipping it over his shoulders on the way out.

"Have fun, boys!" Pamela calls from the front stoop, waving of to them.

"We will, Mrs. Anderson!" Wes promises.

"Oh, it's Pam, Wesley,"

"It's Wes, Mrs. Anderson," Wes teases, getting in shotgun of the small van they had specially for the trip. Pam laughs, shaking her head at the boys. Blaine climbs in the van, seeing they already had everyone, including Kurt.

"Hey," Blaine greets, sitting down beside him and leaning in for a quick peck, trying to rid his boyfriend of his worried glance.

"Baldy-I mean Blaine!" David teases, patting his back. Blaine chuckles, playfully shaking his head.

"How's it goin?" Sebastian asks from the seat behind him, leaning forward so he could talk to him.

"Hey!" Blaine says, trying to ignore the fact that the headache from earlier was getting worse with every voice, and cursing himself that he didn't take an Advil before he left. Kurt was still staring at him, with a furrowed brow full of worry. Kurt always knew when something was wrong, last year when he had a horrible headache, similar to this one, Kurt wouldn't drop the subject until he admitted what was going on. To reassure him, Blaine just slipped his hand inside Kurt's and squeezed it. The gesture seemed to work because Kurt just sighed heavily and turned back towards the front where Nick was driving out from the driveway and onto the streets, towards the nursing home that was only a few miles away.

"Are you okay?" Kurt asks quietly, leaning over just a bit, so he didn't draw the attention of the Warblers. "You look sick,"

"Tired," Blaine shrugs it off. Kurt looks at him, knowing he wasn't telling the truth.

"Blaine," He tries, tilting his head to the side, skeptical.

"I have a little bit of a headache, but it'll go away,"

"That's it?"

"Yes, I promise," Blaine says, forcing himself into a small smile. He kisses the frown off Kurt's face, even though he wasn't totally convinced. He then leans his head on Kurt's shoulders and squeezes his hand.

"You better not be lying to me," Kurt mutters.

"I'm not," Blaine chuckles innocently, moving as close to Kurt as he could, just to persuade him. Kurt huffs, shaking his head.

"If you feel worse, you'll tell me, right?"

"Yes," The shorter boy replies, his smile disappearing. "I just wanna enjoy today. It's been forever since I've performed,"

"I know. I just want you to be careful is all," Kurt replies, turning his head to plant a kiss on the top of his head. "I always have,"

"Yeah, I think that the time when I had a bad cold, and you staying over with me until I got better, proves that,"

Kurt chuckles at the memory.

"We have arrived!" Nick cheers, followed by some more from the other Warblers. Blaine forces a smile on his face and sits back, his hand still remaining in Kurt's. Nick parks the van and they start to file out. Due to being slow, Kurt and Blaine are last. Kurt hops out, his fingers still laced with his boyfriend's. Blaine gets to his feet, trying to ignore his headache. His feet his the pavement, and he stumbles onto Kurt, his smile instantly being wiped away.

"Blaine-"

"I'm fine. Just lost my footing," Blaine lies, managing a reassuring smile.

"Blaine, do you need to go home?" Kurt wasn't buying his facade, he never did. He could always see right through him. Blaine hesitates. It's been a year since he's performed with the Warbler's and months since he's performed with anyone but Kurt. He needed this.

"No, I'll be alright," Blaine blinks, not meeting Kurt's eyes, knowing he couldn't lie to him.

"Say the word, and we're gone, okay?" Kurt says, dragging his chin up between his thumb and forefinger. Blaine nods slowly, leaning forward for a quick kiss. "I love you,"

"I-"

"What's wrong, Blaine? You okay?" Sebastian asks, watching the couple's exchange. Blaine pulls his forehead from Kurt's, ignoring Kurt's eye roll.

"Yeah, It's just-I'm still getting over my fever and ya know, cancer," Blaine says with a forced smile, swallowing deeply. Sebastian nods carefully, noting how terrible Blaine really looked. He knew cancer patients were suppose to look sick, but being this early in his treatment, he looked horrible.

"Okay," He says finally, before following the others inside. Kurt gives him a reassuring hand squeeze, tugging him into the nursing home.

They arrived inside and they were led to the visiting room where most of the elders were waiting for the group or just playing checkers.

"Hello, Happy Thanksgiving!" Wes says with a single clap his hands, speaking louder than normal. It wasn't just because it was to a large group, but because most of them couldn't hear very well. The Warblers learned that lesson the first year when about six of them shouted at them to speak louder because they weren't getting any younger.

A few of them mumbled it back to them and others just ignored him.

"So, we have a few songs prepared for you guys," David adds, a bright smile on his face, joining Wes at the front of the makeshift stage, that was really just the front of the visiting room against the only blank wall.

"Do you want a stool?" Kurt whispers to Blaine. He hesitates. He really didn't wanna sit the entire time, but he didn't know if he'd be able to stand for that long, with the way he felt, it would be a miracle.

"Yeah," He nods, hanging his head with almost embarrassment.

"I'll go grab one," Nick says, turning to ask one of the patrons for help. Kurt catches on to how Blaine was thinking and calls after Nick.

"Get me one too," Kurt says, giving his boyfriend a small smile, there was no way they were going show affection though. Nick and Jeff had just shared a look one year and they were called out by a group of elderly men, saying they didn't fight in WWII for a couple of fags. They weren't hurt by it because they knew that the people in the nursing home grew up in a different time when it was frowned up even more than it was now. Kurt was going to avoid it though, and Blaine was too.

"We're gonna start with some 'Jailhouse Rock'. You know, by the one and only Elvis Presley," Trent announces before getting back into his spot beside Wes.

"Ready?" Seb asks, looking to the other members, including Kurt and Blaine. They all nod and Sebastian clears his throat, counting off to them.

" _The warden threw a party in the county jail,_  
 _The prison band was there adn they began to wail,_  
 _The band was jumpin' and the joint began to swing,_  
 _You should've heard them knocked-out jailbirds sing"_

Sebastian sounded great at this song. He could make his voice powerful or weak for any song, and Blaine had to admit, he had a remarkable voice. The others were snapping their fingers and doing their roles, while Blaine and Kurt fit in any where they could. For the chorus everyone joined in, creating a beautiful harmony. Jeff and Trent stayed back and continued with the back up beat to create an instrument that wasn't really there.

With their nursing home performances, almost anyone would solo, because it really was just practice, so when David took over the next verse, it wasn't a surprise.

_"Spider Murphy played the tenor saxophone,_   
_Little Joe was blowin' on the slide trombone,_   
_The drummer boy from Illinois went crash, boom, bang,_   
_The whole rhythm section was the Purple Gang"_

He sings, sliding past Sebastian and moving to the front so everyone could see him properly.

Singing brought a happiness to Blaine, and he didn't realize how much he missed it until he was doing it. Everything seemed so light when he was singing, whether that be a few 'oos' and 'ahhs' here and there or the actual chorus, he was happy again. Kurt could tell too. When he looked over to see Blaine happily snapping his fingers to the beat and singing to the lyrics, Kurt couldn't help that his smile grew wider and it reached his eyes this time.

 

Before they knew, they had already performed 'Hey Jude', 'Bennie and the Jets', 'Sweet Caroline', and 'Big Girl Don't Cry' by the Four Seasons, and it they only had two more left.   
"Now, we're going to hand it over to our friend Blaine, and he is going to lead us in a song of his choice," Nick announces, turning back to his friend who was still sitting on his stool beside Kurt.

"Wait, what?" Blaine scrunches his face. "I don't have a song prepared,"

"You're in Glee club, you always have a song prepared," Jeff teases. The shorter boy smiles, chuckling lightly. Everyone knew that it was true. How do you think they just belted out into song? Glee kids had tons of song lyrics memorized.

"Okay. Does it have to fit the theme?" He asks, sighing heavily.

"We just said, a song of your choice, so no, it doesn't," Nick playfully rolls his eyes, nudging his shoulder. Blaine's cheeks turn a light pink, and he reluctantly gets off the stool.

"Okay, I wanna do 'Time of your life' by Green Day," Everyone looks at him oddly.

"Green Day? I didn't even know you knew they existed," Jeff jokes, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Blaine, are you feeling alright?" David teases. Blaine shakes his head, playfully rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. You gonna let me do the song or not?" Blaine laughs.

"We can work with that. Now, get up there," David adds. Blaine gets to his feet, taking his time to get to the front of the group.

"Ready?" Blaine asks, the group. Nick nods for them before clearing his throat and starting off the background sound. Quickly, Wes and David join in, and Kurt's not far behind. The soloist clears his throat before starting off the lyrics.

_"Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road,_   
_Time grabs you by the wrist, direct you where to go,_   
_So, make the best of this test and don't ask why,_   
_It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time,"_

Blaine's voice is just how Kurt remembered it, beautiful. Kurt got up from his stool and joined the others behind and beside him.

_"It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right,_   
_I hope you had the time of your life,"_   
_Blaine sucks a deep breath, feeling Kurt's stare on him, again out of worry._   
_"So, take the photographs and still-flames in your mind,_   
_Hang them on a shelf in good health and good time,_   
_Tattoo's of memories and dead skin on trial,_   
_For what it's worth, it was all worth the while,"_

This time, the Warbler's joined in for the chorus, and Blaine had his eyes closed, trying to perform this as best as he could, knowing it was going to be one of the only times he'd be performing in the next few months.

_"It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right,_   
_I hope you had the time of your life,_   
_It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right,_   
_I hope you had the time of your life,"_

Blaine holds the note out longer than Billie Joe Armstrong, but it fit well. When he opens his eyes again, the nurses were clapping, and a few of the elders were too, but most were too caught up in their checker games, but the nurses could see the energy Blaine put in. Kurt was behind him, and he just put a hand on his back, rubbing his fingers across the small of his back, to let him know he was there.

"Okay, now we're going to leave on a happy note with 'I Get Around' by the Beach Boys," Nick announces, patting Blaine's back on his way to the front.   
Blaine wasn't really putting his all in through the last song. As much as he loved singing, the only thing he really wanted to do now was crawl in bed and sleep for a decade. He was exhausted from that.

 

When he was dropped off back at home, he gave Kurt the reassurances that he was fine and didn't need him right now, because he knew that Kurt wanted to go back home and have dinner with his family. Kurt almost went inside with him anyway, claiming dinner didn't matter, but Blaine had persuaded him to go back home, which was still a wonder to Blaine. He then proceeded to climb up the stairs, each of them feeling harder than the other, and plopping down in bed, barely even taking off his shoes and jacket before he was asleep, trying to rid his headache and stomach pains.

 

-0-

 

"Get up!" It was Cooper's voice that woke Blaine up from his wonderful dreamland. That and a pillow hitting his shoulders. Blaine groans, hiding his face in his pillow and shielding his head from the blows with his blanket. "It's dinner time," Cooper adds, hitting his side once more with the decorative pillow.

"I'm not hungry," Blaine grumbles, bringing his knees up farther to curl into a small ball. Cooper sighs heavily, tossing the pillow aside and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I know you're not, but it's Thanksgiving, and Mom just wants this one dinner,"

Blaine lets out a deep breath. That's right, it was Thanksgiving and he promised his mom that he'd be home for it.

"Fine, give me ten minutes," Blaine says, crawling out from his ball to look up at his brother.

"You alright, Blainey?"

He wanted to shout, 'No, do I look okay?'. His head was still pounding and his stomach pains were worse now than they were when he went to sleep. It felt as if his head was swimming and it was hard to keep his eyes open. Curling back up and sleeping for a year, sounded wonderful, but he did promise his mother.

"Yeah, just waking up," Blaine says, running a hand over his face. Cooper nods reluctantly. He pats his brother's leg before starting for the door.

"We'll be waiting," Cooper says. With that he shut the door and Blaine was left to himself. The singer groans loudly, but sits up anyway. He was glad that he said no to Kurt's offer to dinner because there was no way he would have been able to just pretend he was fine, like he could with his own family. He'd probably be in a hospital by now with Kurt at his side, or maybe just curled up in bed with him, with Kurt trying to hide his tears of worry.

He sits for a few seconds, trying to figure out if this is what he really wanted to do. His conscience wins and he's soon up and out of bed, throwing his dark grey hoodie on and slipping his red beanie from earlier back over his head. Blaine had his hand on the doorknob, ready to face everyone, when a wave of nausea rushed over him, causing him to run to the toilet, barely able to get the seat up before he was throwing up his nonexistent lunch. It wasn't even really food at this point, but only fluids.

Something was wrong. He knew something was wrong, and he also knew he should be going to the hospital at this point. Sleep didn't help, singing didn't help, and now he was throwing up food that he didn't have in his stomach. But, Blaine being Blaine, tried to shrug it off and just wiped his mouth and flushed it down. He brushed his teeth to get rid of the taste and made his way downstairs, trying to ignore what had just happened.

Maybe, just maybe he could eat a few bites of food, then go back upstairs and sleep for a few more hours.

When he got downstairs, the smell of stuffing and cooked turkey filled his nostrils. Usually, he would find it pleasant and mouth watering, but not today. It just made him want to puke again. Food had the effect on him lately, though, so he trudged through it.

"Blainey, how was your nap?" Pamela asks, carrying over a bowl of rolls to the dining room, that was almost too large for the four of them.

"Good," Blaine replies, again, struggling to keep his eyes open.

"You slept for six hours, it better have been good," His father mumbles, already pouring himself another glass of scotch. Blaine doesn't say anything, he doesn't have the energy to argue tonight, so he just took his regular seat beside Cooper, who was already eyeing the food as if he was ready to eat all of it.

"Who cooked?" Blaine whispers to Cooper, knowing his mother was never a good cook. She always burnt food and would just order take-out, or use their old nanny.

"Remember that nanny we had from when we were kids?" Blaine nods, remembering the slightly older lady who took them school every morning when they were younger, and made them after school snacks when they got home. One day Blaine and Cooper got home from school, and she just wasn't there. His mother had to explain to them that now that Cooper was and eighth grader, he should be able to take care of both of them, and that Amelia was gone for good. "Well, Mom called her today and she came over and helped mom make dinner, which we both know means that Mom tried to help, but Amelia just shoved her from the kitchen, because she's horrible at anything that has to do with a kitchen," Cooper rolls his eyes.

"Oh," Blaine says quietly, grabbing the pitcher of water and pouring himself a glass. It sounded about right.

"Yeah,"

"Alright, let's eat. James, come on," Pamela says with a bright, excited smile on her face, she sits in her usual chair across from the boys and their father took the seat at the head of the table. James grumbles something that goes unheard by everyone, but Blaine could smell the scotch and whiskey on his breath, even from a seat away. He must have started drinking when he woke up this afternoon from his hangover nap. "Do you wanna lead us in a prayer?" Pam asks her husband.

"No," He says gruffly. He knows it's not because he doesn't want to, but probably because he's too drunk to remember it.

"Cooper?"

"No, I'm no into the whole God thing," Cooper chuckles awkwardly.

"It's because you went to LA, and started being around those Liberal assholes," James point out, finishing off his drink. Cooper rolls his eyes at his father.

"Blaine?"

"What? Yeah sure," Blaine didn't believe in a God, but he's faked it for so many years now, that he could lead a prayer. He really just said he was thankful for everything and prayed for the troops and happiness and well-being for people, and that was the end of it. Cooper looks at him strangely, knowing Blaine didn't believe in a higher power, but Blaine shakes it off.

"Alright, dear God, uh, Happy Thanksgiving. Bless this food, and us and Amen," Blaine says quickly, once everyone's heads were bowed besides Cooper's, who just found the situation amusing. Pam repeats the last word, and James says something the Blaine can't make out. He was too out of it to make it any longer. Usually his mother would say something about it, but since he's been diagnosed with cancer, a lot of things like that have changed. Blaine hated it, but still used it when he really needed to, like today.

"How about we go around the table and say what each of us are thankful for," She suggests. She was really trying to push this whole Thanksgiving family dinner thing.

"I need another drink," James mutters, pushing off from his chair and stumbling over to the table on the far wall, filling his glass with more ice cubes and scotch once more. Blaine can't help but roll his eyes.

"Cooper, why don't you start,"

"Yeah, okay. I'm thankful to be here and for my health, and to be here with Blaine and my mom, and that I'm also thankful that the audition I just landed went well," Cooper replies, smirking at the last part. Blaine rolls his eyes, only half joking.

"I'll go next. I'm thankful for Kurt, and that Cooper flew out here for me. I'm thankful for all my friends who have been so supportive and I'm thankful for all the Hummel's for being amazing with all this,"

"Well said, Blaine," His mother starts, a proud grin on her face. It was Cooper's turn to roll his eyes. "I'm thankful for my family and for my health and that Blaine is still here with us today,"

Blaine's small smile fades at that. That was the last thing he wanted to be thinking about right now, the possibility that he could die.

"Can we eat now?" Cooper asks, already reaching for the stuffing.

"Yes, we can," She says finally, grabbing the rolls and passing them to Blaine after placing one on her plate.

Blaine just grabbed a roll and a piece of turkey, hoping that he could choke it down, but after ten minutes of pushing it around on his plate, he couldn't force himself to take even a bite. His head was getting worse, so he just took a few drinks of water, but that proved to make it worse.

It was almost silent, the only sounds being the forks and silverware against their dishes. That's how all their family dinners went. No one talked because there wasn't much to be said and knowing James, the boys would say something wrong, and they learned that lesson as a child.

Blaine's eyes were practically drooping down, trying to fall closed. His head felt light and filled with clouds. The smell and look of the food sitting in front of him was making him feel sick to his stomach. He wanted out of there, now.

"Can I go upstairs. I don't feel well," Blaine says taking in a deep breath, to try and steady himself.

"Yeah, of course, Darling," Pam had a smile on her face, but she was a bit hurt that Blaine didn't wanna be at dinner anymore. On any other day, she would later claim she worked hard and that Blaine wasn't grateful for what he was given, but all this food was making Blaine's stomach churn with unhappiness and a little disgust. Blaine slides his chair out, ready to start for his bedroom, but his father stopped him.

"No, you cannot just leave. Your mother worked hard on this meal, and you will sit and enjoy it. You haven't even touched your plate!" His says with an angry furrow in his brow.

"I can't eat. My stomach isn't happy and I'm tired I-"

"We're all tired,"

"Yeah well, you don't have cancer, now do you?" Blaine shoots up from his seat, shouting the statement. His mother cringes at his words. "You're not coming down from a fever, and over a month of chemo, you don't have a tumor in your stomach,"

"You are so ungrateful. You always have been! We've given you everything you could ever need, and you're still complaining!"

"You haven't given me the things that are important!"

"Like what?" His father challenges. He's now also up from his seat, his hands on either side of his plate, leaning forward.

"Like a father who didn't come home so drunk that he didn't remember his name! We had a nanny until Cooper was in eighth grade, and even after that we still didn't see you, but honestly, why would we want to!? All you did was scream and yell at us because we were being kids, you-"

"You shut your mouth," James says, his upper lip turned in disgust.

"Make me," Blaine says quietly, leaning forward, and towards his father.

"Blaine, just go back upstairs, honey," His mother says, not wanting a fight. The two stare at each other for a minute, before Blaine rolls his eyes, turning around on his heels and starting for the staircase. He takes a few steps before he was stumbling. His vision was getting blurry, and black spots were forming. He put a hand over his forehead, trying to get rid of the feeling that was making him feel so sick.

"Blaine?" Cooper's voice is distraught, but very vague in his head. He goes to take one more step and the next thing he knew everything was black.

 

"Blaine!" Cooper was screaming when Blaine hit the floor with a loud thud. He's out of his seat within a second and rushing to his side. He puts his two fingers to his neck, checking for a pulse. It was there. He can breathe again, but it's short lived. "Mom, call 911!" He orders. His mother is standing, but still in shock, her mouth is open, and her eyes wide. "Mom!" He yells again, removing Blaine cap, to try and get rid of the heat crowding his forehead. Pamela is soon scrambling for the kitchen, getting to the house phone.

"He's faking," James rolls his eyes, sitting back down in his seat and drinking from his glass, as if his son didn't just pass out.

"Jesus, Dad," Cooper mutters, rolling his eyes. "Come on, Blainey," Cooper picks him up, surprised at how light he felt. He carries him to the living room, laying him down on the brown leather couch. "Wake up, Squirt," Cooper coos, setting a pillow under his head.

A few minutes later and Pamela is running as fast as she could with her four inch heels, into the living room to be with her kids.

"Did you call?"

"Yeah, they're on their way with an ambulance," She says, bringing a shaking hand to Blaine's forehead.

 

-0-

 

Blaine groans loudly, going to bring his his hand to his head in pain, but he was attached to something. He blinks his eyes open looking down at his left hand, an IV was stuck into his elbow. He throws his head back against his pillow. That's when he noticed the bright lights, shining above him. He was not at home anymore.

"Blaine? You awake?" The younger Anderson turns his head to look at the source with squinted eyes.

"Kurt?"

"No, Cooper," He sounded a little hurt at Blaine's question, but Blaine's head hurt too bad to care at all.

"Where am I?"

"The hospital. You passed out at dinner from being malnourished. You haven't been eating, have you?" Cooper asks, a hand on his leg, trying to comfort him.

"I can never keep it down," Blaine mumbles, smacking his lips together. "Water," He reaches his hand out to search for a cup, but found nothing.

"You can't have anything to eat yet, you might be going for surgery,"

"What?" He was awake now. Surgery? Why would he need surgery. He snaps his eyes open to look at his brother.

"The doctor is suppose to come in and explain it soon. I don't wanna get you worked up," Cooper says quietly. Blaine sighs heavily. What the hell did he get himself into? He looks over and sees his mother at the end of his bed, a worried look on her face. His dad is sitting on the pull out couch, a silver water bottle in hand, which they all knew didn't contain water. "They put an IV in your arm to replace some of the nutrition you're missing. Doctor's suppose to come in soon," He adds, his face scrunched with sympathy.

As if on cue, the tall, thin doctor was coming through the door, a bright smile on at his face.

"Good, you're awake. We can talk about your next step then," The dark haired doctor smiles at the family, especially to Blaine. Blaine goes to sit up, but instantly feels dizzy once more. Cooper catches him, and instead adjusts his bed so he's sitting up, but still leaning against the mattress.

"Why do I need surgery?"

"Blaine, I hear you haven't been having an appetite. Is that true?"

"Yeah, but they told me that was normal," Blaine says casually, slowly becoming more aware of his surrounding and the layout of the room.

"To an extent, but you seemed to have taken it to the next level, and caused yourself to pass out. So, we are going to insert a nasal-gastric feeding tube to-"

"What? No," Blaine says instantly, shaking his head. "I don't need a feeding tube. I'm not a small child," He scoffs.

"Blaine, usually with gastric cancer, a feeding tube can be quite normal. People over the age of eighteen often get these done because they're only temporary and we don't want to have to open you up if we don't have to, like we would with a G tube. It'll be a quick procedure, you won't need to go into surgery at all, we're just going to insert the tube through your nose, through the esophagus and into the stomach. It'll be uncomfortable, but shouldn't be painful. Then we'll be able to make sure you're getting all the nutrients you need,"

"I am getting the right nutrients. I'm fine," Blaine says shaking his head. He did not want this at all. They were going to shove his chemo back even longer and he was only four days from being able to start again. This was not going to shove him back too.

"You passed out," Cooper reminds him. The younger Anderson glares at him, his brow furrowed with anger.

"This is a really simple procedure, it won't hurt and it's what will be best for you," Dr. Thomas reminds him, nodding his head in encouragement.

"I wanna call Kurt," Blaine says looking to his brother for his phone, as if he would have it.

"Your phone isn't here. It's still at the house," His mother says.

"Then you call him," He says as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"No, he does not need to be here. You can get it done with out him," His father rolls his eyes, turning back to the doctor. "When can we get this show on the road?" Dr. Thomas goes to say something, but Blaine won't let him.

"No, I won't get it without Kurt here, it's as simple as that. I refuse,"

"It's not your choice," James says whipping his head towards his son.

"I can get a hold of him, Sweetheart," His mother gives her son a warm smile, and Blaine slightly relaxes.

"No, you won't. He's not a child, he can handle things on his own," James says gruffly, his brow furrowing towards his wife. Pam goes still, but nods.

"I'll let you guys discuss this. I'll be back in an hour or so, make sure not to eat anything until we get the tub inserted," Dr. Thomas says, giving the family a small smile before leaving through the door he came through.

"Dad, just let him do it. What's the big deal?" Cooper shrugs, starting to pull out his phone.

"I am sick of seeing him, that's the big deal. Blaine's a big boy, he doesn't need his faggot here with him," His upper lip is turned in disgust towards both his sons.

"Then I'm not going to get it done. I won't do it," Blaine says more sternly.

"I'll call him," Cooper rolls his eyes, already grabbing for his phone once more.

"No, you won't," James bites, pointing towards Cooper.

"What are you gonna do, Dad?" Cooper challenges, crossing his arms over his chest, his head cocked to the side slightly.

"Don't make me beat your ass, Cooper. You walk in here acting like your some tough shit now? No, I'm the man of the house, and I make the rules. Blaine's getting the procedure done, so we can get out of here quicker," James explains. "That's final," His voice is stern, and it sends chilling goosebumps through Blaine's body. "Let's go, before he makes you change your mind," He adds, putting his hand on the small of Pamela's back and ushering her and Cooper towards the door, leaving Blaine alone.

He goes into panic mode. He needs Kurt here for this. It's a big cancer thing, and he needs Kurt beside him. Not knowing what to do, he just curled up on his side and started to cry. What was he suppose to do? He didn't have his phone, and he wasn't about to get Cooper in trouble for something like that, or his mother. His father was unpredictable, and who knows what'd he do if they even thought about calling. The IV was tugging on his arm, but he really didn't care. All he cared about was Kurt. It sounded pathetic, and sappy, but he couldn't do this without him.

 

When he woke up next, someone was tugging on his IV, waking him up, from what he considered almost, a peaceful sleep.

"Huh?" He mumbles, turning back over on his back to see a nurse with a small curly Afro on her head, and wearing a pair of maroon scrubs at his bed side, changing out his IV bag.

"I'm sorry, Honey," The dark skinned woman says. Her brow scrunches with sympathy. "I didn't mean to wake you up,"

"Are you taking me in for the procedure?" Blaine asks, his eyes blinking open.

"No, you weren't asleep for long, I guess. The doctor only came in here about twenty minutes ago," She explains, checking the small, exercise watch on her wrist. Blaine nods, looking around the room to see if Kurt was here, but of course there was no sign of him, yet."Are you expecting someone?" She asks, removing her blue gloves and tossing them in the trash can, noticing the way Blaine was looking around hopefully. Blaine shakes his head without thinking straight. "Alright, shout if you need anything," He thinks for a second, before sitting up again.

"Wait, there is something I need," Blaine says, her hand on the doorknob. She stops in her tracks to look back at him, her eyebrows raised expectantly."I need my boyfriend here. I need to call him,"

"I'll see what we can do," She says with a sympathetic smile, walking through the door, before Blaine can say another word.

He took a few minutes to gather himself, so he could really think. Kurt wasn't coming because his father didn't want him here. He shakes his head at the thought of doing this with out him, checking the clock above the doorway.

'8:01 PM'

If no one was going to call him, he needed to. Maybe if he got out of bed and made sure the nurses knew how much he needed this, they would let him call him. She didn't even ask who he was talking about. His father probably told them not to let him call anyone or let anyone else in the room. it sounded like something he would say. He was going to go the nurse's station.

He swings his legs over the side of the bed, sucking in a deep breath. He felt incredibly weak still, but hopefully with the IV stand for support, he could get to the nurses station. He pushes off his bed and almost falls over, but he catches himself and slowly walks from the room.

He leans against the railing on the wall in the hallway. He can see the nurses station, it's just a few paces away.

The halls were practically empty at this point. No one besides him and a janitor who was too busy at his cart to notice Blaine struggling. This all seemed too easy, and unreal. Shouldn't a nurse be rushing towards him with worry, because he was not suppose to be out of bed.

He looks down to the floor, trying to focus on walking, but it was hard when he felt so dizzy and weak everywhere. He must have really been malnourished to feel like this. When he finally looks back up, it's like an unrealistic dream. Kurt was at the nurses station, tear tracks staining his face. Burt was behind him, equally as worried, his hands stuck in his pockets, an anoyed look on his face. He was yelling for some reason. They probably wouldn't let him through.

"Kurt?" Blaine asks weakly. Of course he didn't hear him, considering he was only a fourth of the way to down the hall. Kurt groans loudly in frustration, rolling his eyes and pushing off the desk. He runs his hand through his hair. His voice was loud when he spoke next.

"I will go up and down these halls until either security finds me, or I find him. Don't test me," Kurt rolls his eyes in anger. He whips his head around, and he meets Blaine's shaking figure. "Oh my god!" He's now rushing down the hall as fast as he could, his boots clicking against the tile.

"Kurt," Blaine breaths, practically collapsing into his arms when he's close enough.

"What are you doing? You should be in bed," Kurt coos, helping him stand up right again. Blaine grunts in response, gripping onto Kurt's shirt tightly. "Where's your room, Baby?" He asks, pressing a quick kiss to the top of his head. Blaine points over to the only room with it's door open. "Alright, come on," Kurt wraps an arm around his shoulders and leads him back to his room. By now a few nurses were coming over to the pair, but Kurt refused help, and Blaine was happy for the fact.

When they get back to the room, Kurt lays him back down in bed and brings the covers up to his shoulders.

"Jesus, Blaine. What were you thinking?" Kurt shakes his head, sitting himself down at the edge of the bed and taking his hand in his own.

"I was gonna go the nurses station and force them to call you," Blaine's voice is dry and weak, it's very there, just as it was when he woke up the first time. Kurt chuckles.

"Of course you were,"

"Who called you?" Blaine asks, his face turning serious once more, squeezing Kurt's hand.

"Cooper. He said you were in the hospital and that you wouldn't get the tube with out me,"

"Because I wouldn't. I promised I'd call you for every single cancer related thing," Blaine replies, leaning against his pillow. Kurt smiles, sighing heavily with contentment. "Your dad is here?"

"Yeah, he didn't trust me to drive because I was in such a state," Kurt chuckles, his cheeks turning a light pink at the reminder of how he was rushing around the house, almost putting on non matching shoes to try and get to Blaine as quick as he could.

"You can go get him if you want,"

"I'm sure he wants to see you," Kurt gets back to his feet, pressing a soft kiss to the top of his head. Blaine smiles gently, squeezing his hand one more time before Kurt let go to get his father. Blaine could finally relax knowing he wasn't alone anymore.

Of course, he had his parents, but the only one that was really supportive was Cooper, and he didn't offer the snuggles or reassuring kisses that he needed, which Blaine was happy he didn't offer, but Kurt did. That's why they were a couple in the first place, to be there and giver everything they had when they were hurting.

Burt must have been just outside the door, or just down the hall, because it didn't take long for Kurt to come back with his father in tow, a small smile on his face.

"Hey, Son, how you feeling?" Burt asks, patting him on the back, careful not to jostle him too much, considering how weak he still looked.

"Hi," Blaine's face lights up. Burt's always been the father he's always wanted, so for him to here, it meant a lot to him. Kurt sits himself back on the edge of the bed, slipping his hand back into Blaine's.

"Were's Cooper?" Kurt asks, his thumb rubbing gently across his knuckles. Burt moves towards the pull out couch, sitting himself down and getting comfortable.

"I don't know. When my dad got angry, he just took them away and then I fell asleep," Blaine sighs heavily, his smile fading at the mention of his father.

"Angry? About what?"

"I said I wouldn't do the procedure with out you and he wasn't too happy about it. He flipped, but he's drunk," Blaine looks down at his lap at the reminder that his dad was a bad alcoholic.

"Hey, it'll be okay," Kurt nudges him, planting, what even Blaine knew to be a fake smile. The shorter boy nods anyway though.

"Do you want anything, boys? I can get you some coffee, Kurt?" Burt offers, knowing the two needed a moment by themselves.

"Yeah, can you get me a non-fat mocha?" Kurt asks.

"Yeah, I'll get you a coffee," Burt chuckles, making Kurt playfully roll his eyes. "Blaine?"

"No, I'm fine. I can't have anything until after they put the tube in,"

"You're getting it then?" Kurt asks, his eyebrows raised with hope.

"Yeah, I don't think I have a choice," He says quietly. Kurt sighs heavily, squeezing Blaine's hand tightly, which Blaine returns.

"Alright, I'll see you boys in a few," Burt announces, heading back towards the door.

"Are you nervous?"

"Yeah, a little. I don't have to go into surgery, but won't that hurt, getting a tube shoved down my nostril?" Blaine shutters at the thought.

"I don't know. You should ask Dad when he comes back. Apparently, my mom needed one when she had cancer," Kurt pauses going to say something else, but Blaine stops him.  
"I don't wanna talk about this anymore,"

Kurt nods, respecting that decision. He goes to open his mouth to say something again, to change the subject, but the door is soon being opened to reveal his doctor.

"Hello, Blaine! You must be Kurt," Dr. Thomas smiles, reaching a hand out to shake Kurt's hand.

"Yeah, that'd be me," Kurt smiles, looking to Blaine in confusion, but Blaine shakes his head in response, not wanting to explain it all right now.

"So, I take it you want the procedure?"

"No, but I need it," Blaine's joke quickly falls flat.

"I can promise it won't hurt. It may be uncomfortable, but it won't hurt. We'll just have you lie down and we'll put it through your nose and down your esophagus. I'll have you move your head a little, to make sure it gets down there and to your stomach. Then you'll drink a few sips of water so it settles down and we'll probably give you your first feeding either later tonight or tomorrow morning,"

"That sounds horrible," Blaine chuckles dryly. Dr. Thomas hangs his head, laughing to himself. He picks up Blaine's clipboard from the end of the bed and looks through it as he continues.

"The tube will feel uncomfortable even after it's inserted and there's really no way to get rid of that. You may have some nausea, vomiting, cramping, or abdominal swelling, but to an extent that's normal for the first few weeks or so-"

"First few weeks? How long does this need to be in for?" Blaine asks, his eyes wide. He figured it would only be for a few weeks at the most. How long was this tube going to be sticking out from his nose?

"Anywhere from one to six months. It will most likely stay in until after you get your appetite back,"

Kurt looks from the doctor to Blaine and saw the worry rush over him, so he squeezed his hand tightly and let Dr. Thomas continue.

"Anyway, if it does get to an extreme, we may have to put in a G tube, which you will need surgery for,"

"No, I'm not getting that," Blaine scoffs, shaking his head. He knew he was going to need more than a few surgeries through out his treatment, but he was going to keep it at a minimum if he had any option.

"Then let's hope all goes well. We'll wait for your folks to get back and then we should be able to get started," He smiles, setting the clipboard back on it's clip and patting Blaine's foot. He gives them one last wave before leaving the room.

"Kurt, I don't wanna do this. That sounds horrifying," Blaine says quickly, shaking his head.

"Honey, it's gonna be fine. He said it won't hurt at all, just some discomfort," Kurt assures him, putting a hand on his thigh and rubbing at the sheet clad skin. Blaine groans, scrunching his face at the thought of a long tube going all the way down his nose and into his stomach, and he would be awake for the procedure. It sounded horrible. "I'll hold your hand through the entire thing," He adds quickly.

"Promise?"

Kurt laughs, nodding his head. "Yes, I promise," Blaine smiles sticking out his pinky finger.

"Are we really THAT gay now?" Kurt jokes, cocking his head to the side.

"Yes, we are," Blaine chuckles, shaking his pinky again. Kurt huffs, playfully rolling his eyes.

"I pinky promise," He says locking his finger with his boyfriend's, even though it was ridiculous.

"Thank you," He leans back against his pillows, resting a hand over his hospital-gown clad chest. "I love you,"

"I love you more," Kurt teases, leaning forward to plant a kiss on his forehead, taking a breath through the kiss. He moves his head down and rests his forehead against Blaine's.

"Yeah?" Blaine challenges, bringing one hand up to cup Kurt's cheek, rubbing at his cheek gently with the pad of his thumb.

"Yeah," Kurt nods, his smile growing, as he plants another one against his hot lips.

"Yeah?"

"Crazy how you instantly feel better, now that we're kissing," Kurt's breath is hot against Blaine's lips. Blaine laughs, pecking his lips again.

"It's because you're here. You make me feel better," Blaine says, a dopey, in-love grin on his face. Kurt smiles wider, capturing his lips in one more kiss before pulling away. The taller boy goes to say something more, but the door is soon flinging open, it harshly hitting the light blue painted wall. This time it was revealing James Anderson instead of a friendly doctor.


	7. Chapter Seven: The Tube

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next installment! Tell me how you guys like this story! I really do enjoy writing it, and have tried to make it as realistic as possible, so everything that I do, usually comes with a ton of research, which delays my updates a little, but I'm still posting, so enjoy this and tell me what you guys think! Thank you so much!!

It took a second for Blaine and Kurt to process anything. One moment they were all kisses and smiles and the next, James Anderson is in the room, his eyes wide with fury.

"Dad!" Cooper screams, pulling on the man's arm. James spins around, almost stumbling.

"You called the Fag?" James asks, his lips turned up, and his voice low with anger.

"Stop calling him that," Blaine argues, noting how tight Kurt's grip was on his hand, it was a miracle his hand wasn't in pieces yet.

"You shut up!" He yells, not bothering to turn his head towards his other son. 

"He wouldn't do it with out him. It's not a big deal," Cooper defends, raising one eyebrow higher than the other and his hands up in surrender. James eyes him carefully.

"I specifically told you not to, and you did," He says quietly, which is even more terrifying than the screaming. The next thing he knew he was being shoved up against the wall, pinned under his father's grasp, causing a few things to fall from their shelves behind him.

"James, what are you doing?" Pamela is a few paces behind them, shocked at what she walked in on. 

"Stay out of this, Pam," James orders, his eyes locked on Cooper's, who still wasn't backing down. He's been a coward all his life. If he couldn't protect Blaine from cancer, he would protect him from their father. "I told you I would beat your ass if you did that,"

"I know," Cooper lets out a deep breath to try and stop himself from shaking. Blaine tugs on Kurt's hand, bring him closer to himself, to keep him close. Kurt obeys, scooting back onto the bed, so Blaine could wrap a protective arm around his shoulders, both of them eyeing the situation carefully. James was always unpredictable when he was drunk. He could be pinning Cooper one moment and hitting Kurt in the next.

"Then why'd you do it?" His voice is low, to a point everyone else in the room had to strain to hear it. Cooper chooses his next words carefully, which is hard considering, the smell of scotch is overwhelming and his father's face is just inches away from his own, his pupils dilated from his intoxication level and his face stern with anger.

"To. Piss. You. Off."

That was the wrong choice of words, he's slammed against the wall, making him hiss in pain, his back aching.

"You were a mistake. You never should have been born. You've done nothing but cause trouble, just like your brother,"

"You shouldn't have had kids then. Add that to the long list of things you should have never done. Like pick up another bottle," He sasses back, his brow turned with disgust. 

"Use your call button," Kurt whispers quietly to Blaine. 

"What?" Blaine is too panicked to be thinking straight. All he can think about is Kurt getting dragged into all this, even more so than he is already. James raised his hand and slapped Cooper across the cheek, it was the loudest thing Blaine's ever heard. He swears the entire hospital heard it. Cooper's head whipped to the side and down towards the floor. Pamela gasps, letting out a soft sob, frozen in her spot, practically shaking with fear. It was nothing new.

"Use your call button to get a nurse in here," Kurt repeats, gripping onto Blaine's hospital gown.

Blaine nods slowly, reaching behind him for the nurse's button. It took a little bit for him to find it, but when he did, he hit it at least ten times, urging them to come quicker, even though he could really only hit it once. 

James was still talking down to Cooper, hitting him in all the right spots to make him physically cringe, but Cooper wasn't backing down and was giving it right back to him, which would usually result in another slap to the cheek. 

"You're lucky we're in a hospital. Wait 'til we get home," James whispers into his ear, making Cooper's eyes go wide. No one else heard it, but everyone knew he must have said something, by the shock on Cooper's face. 

"James, you should just go home, you'll feel better in the morning," Pam tries to persuade, putting a hand on his shoulder, but James rips it off, making his wife pull back instantly, almost cringing with fear.

"Oh, so the fag can stay, but I can't? I'm here for my son,"

"No you're not," Blaine scoffs, shaking his head, and tugging Kurt closer when his dad whipped his head around towards him. 

"You don't know my intentions, Blaine. I'm trying to help you. The more you're around him, the worse you get. You're already one of the gays, I don't need you flailing around like he does," James nods towards Kurt, who gulps at the comment, making a small whimper from the back of his throat.

"Please, just go," Blaine begs, shutting his eyes. His heart rate rising. If he had a heart monitor on, it probably would have sent some more nurses down here. "Some nurses are already coming, so make your choice," He warns. As if on cue, the same short, stockier nurse from earlier was coming through the door.

"What do you need, Honey?" She asks, her smile is soon fading, realizing how thick the air was, and how tense the room felt.

"Uh, I just don't want him here right now," Blaine says quietly, looking down at his lap. She looks to the wall, and notices James now standing beside his son. 

"I'm sorry sir," She says, giving him a warming smile. He rolls his eyes, reluctantly following her out the door. As soon as the door shuts, Blaine's shoulders relax. Kurt practically slumps against him with relief, hiding his face against his chest. Blaine wraps an arm around his shoulders, once he's fallen against him, taking deep breaths. 

"Kurt, are you okay?" Blaine asks gently. Kurt nods slowly.

"Yeah, just give me a sec. I am not used to that," He replies, swallowing thickly. Blaine nods, looking up to the only two family members remaining. Cooper was now sinking against the wall and to the floor, his cheek bright red, and a hand running through his hair. His mother was taking a seat on the couch, trying to calm herself down. That could have been so much worse.

Kurt takes a few more breaths, before he sits up once more, his eyes locked on Blaine. 

"I'm so sorry," Kurt shakes his head, squeezing Blaine's now sweaty hand. Blaine's heart fills with worry.

"What? For what?" His eyes go wide. Was he leaving him? He probably just couldn't handle everything, how was he suppose to? "Why are you apologizing?"

"Because you've have had to deal with that for so long," Blaine's shoulders relax once more. He shuts his eyes, taking a deep breath. He leans forward, wrapping Kurt into a tight hug. Kurt rubs his back gently, Blaine's face hidden in the crook of his boyfriend's neck. 

"I love you, so much, Kurt. So much, that sometimes it hurts," Blaine admits, his voice muffled by Kurt's sweater, but he still heard it. 

"I love you too, B," Kurt promises, squeezing him tight in his arms. 

"I'm so sorry you had to hear that, I'm so sorry," The shorter boy says softly against Kurt's porcelain skin.

"It's okay, I-"

"No, none if it was, because it's all untrue. Every single word. You're perfect and don't ever forget that," His voice is trailing off and he just hopes he hears it anyway. He must have, but Kurt was gripping onto him tighter.

"You're not so bad yourself," He jokes, making Blaine chuckle lightly into the cream fabric of Kurt's sweater. 

"Thanks," He laughs, nuzzling his nose against his neck.

"No, but seriously, Blaine. You're amazing. Don't listen to him," Kurt says with a sigh, pressing a kiss to the side of his head with a smack. The door opens once more, but this time it ws Burt carrying a drink carrier with four coffees in it, from the cafeteria. 

"Did I miss something?" He asks, noticing everyone's expressions. Blaine opened his mouth, but Kurt beat him to it.

"No, nothing. Just tired," Kurt replies, letting Blaine go to collect his coffee from his father. Burt nods slowly, not really believing him, but not pushing it. He hands Cooper one and Pam one as well. The last one he takes for himself and he sits himself down in one of the uncomfortable waiting chairs. 

"Have you heard anything more about what's going to happen?" Burt asks.

"Yeah, he's suppose to come in any time now to do the procedure. It's suppose to be painless," Blaine scoff at the last past, leaning back against his pillows, but one hand still interlocked with Kurt's. Burt eyes the two carefully, but decides not to ask questions. Kurt will explain later. It didn't take a scientist to notice something happened while he was gone.

 

It took almost another hour before Dr. Thomas came back in, but he did have a nurse behind him, who was rolling a small cart. It was the same nurse from earlier.

"Are you ready, Blaine?" He asks, a bright smile on his face as he grabbed a pair of lavender colored gloves off the cart.

"Uh, yeah, I guess," Blaine says awkwardly, looking down at Kurt was curled up on his side. Blaine finally lets him go, and instead he sits in one of the chairs beside his dad. "Don't go far," Blaine says quietly to his boyfriend. The countertenor smiles gently, trying to fix his hair as best he can, it being disheveled from lying against Blaine's chest.

"Never," 

"Okay, this is Molly, I'm sure you've seen her around tonight, but she's gonna help me a little a bit with procedure, but really, this is going to be primarily to and me, alright?" He says, lowering the bed almost down to the floor, so he could get a good angle. Cooper was now at the foot of the bed beside Kurt, watching them intently. Molly hands Dr. Thomas a long white tube, after she's finished making sure the end is clean with disinfectant wipes. 

"So, I'm going to stick this through your nose, so don't move at all, or you will have some pain, and don't sneeze," He adds the last part with a bit of humor, but Blaine was too terrified of the tube going through his nose to notice. The doctor clears his throat and sets his face into a serious expression. "Then once we get it to your esophagus, I'll probably have you move a little to make sure it's where it needs to be and to ensure that it goes down, and aid in the process," He pauses, getting the tube ready. "Ready, Blaine?" 

Blaine takes a deep breath, and nods. 

"Okay," He gets down a little to make sure he gets it right and the next thing Blaine knew the tube was going up his nose. Blaine closes his eyes, not wanting to see it and Kurt puts a reassuring hand on his foot, to let him know he was still there, playing with this bare toes through the sheet. He feel it go down to his throat and start to pass down. "Now, I need you to tilt your head back, Blaine," 

Blaine does as he's told, his mouth now open so Dr. Thomas can see the tube in the back of his throat. He puts one of his hands to his chest. 

"Move your head to your right, tilting it,"

Blaine follows instructions once more, and the tube moves farther down. He's told to move his head around a few more times, and then he announces that he's done, and the other end of the tube is tucked behind his ear and secured with a piece of tape, that Molly placed against his cheek.

"Alright! You're finished, besides one thing. I need you to take a drink of water to help it slide down a little, then we'll take you in for an x-ray," He smiles, as Molly hands him a small, Styrofoam cup. 

"X-ray? You never mentioned an X-ray," Blaine says, drinking from the cup, trying to get it down quickly.

"Sorry, I should have. It's just to ensure placement, because we don't wanna give you food and then the tube be in your lung. We just wanna be sure," 

"Oh, okay," Blaine replies softly, finishing off the cup and handing it back to Molly who tosses it into the garbage can connected to the cart.

"So, how does this all work?" Kurt asks that question, his hand still on Blaine's foot, rubbing comfortingly.

"So, around three times a day, a nurse will come in and they'll have a can with the formula, I guess you could call it that, then she'll unhook the plug and give it to him through a syringe until the best amount is given, it usually takes two or three syringes full, then he'll be set until the next one. For now, we're going to keep in your IV to make sure we can catch up and make sure you're healthy enough, then you'll probably have your first feeding tomorrow afternoon or evening."

"Can I still eat regular food? Or am I just stuck with this now?" Blaine asks.

"Of course you can. You don't have continuous feeding, so eating normal food is fine, but you just don't seem to be getting enough of it, so that's what the tube is for. It will make you feel full though, because the tube is setting in your stomach, so don't be surprised if you just don't want to eat," He explains, turning back to Blaine with a smile on his face. "You can also still drink regularly, which you should be doing anyway, because this doesn't make you hydrated, so keep with water for now," 

"Okay," Blaine soaks the information, and so does everyone else in the room. "Is this all something I can do at home, then?" 

"Blaine, with you coming into the hospital twice in the past two weeks, and now with the feeding tube, we're going to keep you here for awhile, to make sure you're getting the right care,"

"What?" His eyes go wide, and he's quickly sitting up. "What do you mean? I'm going home, right?"

"As of right now, no. It's just to ensure safety and to make sure you're getting the care you need, you-"

"I can get it from home! I don't need to stay here! I need to be home," Great, now he was arguing with a doctor.

"Blaine, calm down, Honey," Kurt says. 

"No! I will not calm down. I'm not going to live in a hospital for God knows how long. I won't do it," Blaine pulls his head back, as if it was obvious. 

"Blaine, you staying here is what's best. It's not as bad as you think. Your family can come in at almost any time and visit you. Friends can come. You won't have to wear your hospital gown, you can decorate your room, once we get you into one, you-"

"Decorate my room?! How long am I going to be here?" He shrieks, panic in his voice and eyes.

"More than likely, until you're in remission, but that-"

"Remission!? I might not even get to remission!" Blaine shouts. 

"Blaine, stop that! Don't talk like that," Kurt snaps, his voice loud. Blaine snaps his head towards his boyfriend, and almost instantly feels guilty. He takes a breath to compose himself before continuing, his jaw still half clenched. "Calm down. It's not as bad you think it's going to be. You're just scared right now. If you give him a second, he'll explain."   
Blaine sighs heavily in defeat, sitting back against his pillows once more and looking down at his lap with a furrowed brow. 

"As I was saying, that doesn't mean you won't get brief periods where you can go home, and days where you can leave the hospital and go wherever you wanted within reason," He says. "We'll get you a more comfortable room, you can bring clothes from home and anything else you'll need or want. It'll be like a tiny apartment for you. It'll be alright, and hopefully by Monday or Tuesday we can start chemo again," His doctor reassures him. Blaine rolls his eyes at the last statement. Kurt bites his bottom lip before coming up to his side.

"Hey, you're not alone in this. Your biggest supporters are right with you, and we're not going anywhere, alright?" He promises, slipping his hand into his own, his voice stern and purposeful. Tears were forming in Blaine's eyes as he nods.

"Okay," He says quietly, his voice thick with moisture. Kurt gives him a small, reassuring smile. 

"Okay," Kurt repeats back to him, squeezing his hand.

"So, I'll send an x-ray tech down now and we can get that x-ray and you'll be set for the night," Dr. Thomas says, patting Blaine's leg gently.

"Thank you," Blaine says, looking down at his lap. 

"Of course, Blaine," He smiles back at him, unphased by Blaine's outburst towards him. He's dealt with enough frustrated patients that he knew how he felt and no longer took it to heart, or let it bother him. 

With that the doctor was leaving, with Molly right behind him, pushing her cart out the door. 

"Come here," Kurt chuckles, dragging Blaine by his shoulder, in for a hug. Blaine chuckles with him, nuzzling his nose against his neck.

"Thank you," Blaine sighs contently, both not caring about their parents being the room. 

"If you thank me one more time for something like this, I will slap you again," He teases, squeezing him tight before releasing him. Blaine chuckles, hanging his head down with laughter. 

"Well, since we all missed our Thanksgiving dinners, how about I go down to KFC and pick up some food for us. It's been a long night," Burt offers, getting to his feet.

"Mr. Hummel, you don't have to do that," Cooper says.

"I want to and call me Burt," Burt smiles, patting Cooper's shoulder. The actor smiles wide, and a small blush even creeps up on his cheeks. "Do you wanna ride with me, son?" 

"Sure," Cooper says fondly, following Burt out the door, his smile even bright at the nickname.

"I'm going to go try and find your father," Pamela announces, smoothing her skirt out and giving the boys a nod before following the other two's lead. 

"Wow, we really can clear a room," Kurt jokes.

"I'm sorry," Blaine blurts, squeezing Kurt's fingers, his brow furrowed with guilt.

"For what?"

"You guys missed out on your Thanksgiving dinner, and I know how much you love Thanksgiving," 

"Stop that," Kurt scolds teasingly, "I like Thanksgiving because it's with family and loved ones, and your my most loved one, so I'm just glad we're here together. Even though it is under circumstances that we don't like," Kurt smiles gently. 

"Are you sure?"

"I am one hundred percent sure, Blaine," Kurt assures him, leaning forward to plant a kiss on his lips, to seal the deal. Kurt smiles, studying Blaine's face carefully. "That tube is going to take some getting used to,"

"Is it bad?" Blaine asks, reaching a hand up to feel it, as if he couldn't already feel it down his throat. 

"You want a mirror?" Kurt asks, reaching for his phone in his back pocket. Blaine nods, his brow furrowed with worry. He kinda didn't want to know what he looked like, scared it would scar him forever. Kurt opens his camera app and hands it to Blaine. 

"Wow, it's very there," Blaine says, tilting his head, looking at it from different angles, as if he turned the right way, it would disappear.

"It's not bad, though," Kurt promises, rubbing his leg to try and console him.

"It makes me look really sick," Blaine sighs heavily at that realization, shaking his head.

"Honey, you are sick," Kurt says quietly.

"I know, it just-God," Blaine huffs, handing Kurt's phone back to him. He expected him to stick it back in his pocket, but instead, he sat beside his boyfriend and held it out in front of the both of them. "What are you doing?"

"It's called taking a selfie, where have you been the past like ten years?" Kurt playfully rolls his eyes, smiling for the picture. Blaine chuckles lightly, and Kurt snaps a few pictures. 

"Look at the camera Blaine," He orders.

"Bossy," Blaine jokes, turning towards the lens and smiling. Kurt snaps a few more and sets it back down. "Why'd you take a picture now?"

"So this way, when you get in remission, we can look through all the photos we took and admire how far you've come,"

"We've only taken one,"

"No, about five or six," Kurt admits. Blaine tilts his head to the side. "I took one on your first day, another later that day when we got ice cream, one when you were in the hospital the first time, and a few more during chemo sessions when you were sleeping on my shoulder," Kurt admits. Blaine drops his mouth in shock.

"Sneaky," Blaine laughs, his cheeks turning a light pink.

"Did you expect anything less?" Kurt smiles, slipping his phone back into his pocket. 

 

-0-

 

After getting a quick x-ray done, which proved that the tube was in place, and Burt and Cooper came back with a bucket of chicken and some sides, it was already nine o'clock. Burt and Cooper were taking up the pull out couch, Pamela was sitting beside Blaine's bed in one of the waiting chairs, and Kurt was sat with his back to the footboard of the bed, his feet resting beside Blaine's waist. 

"I swear, Blaine didn't go in my room for like a year," Cooper laughs, recalling a memory from their childhood, a chicken leg in hand. The room joins in on the laughter, besides Blaine, who was just blushing fiercely, clutching a paper cup full of water in his hand. 

"How old was he again?" Kurt asks in amusement, squinting one eye. 

"Twelve? Right, Blainey?" Cooper teases, looking to his brother.

"Stop telling embarrassing stories about me," Blaine chuckles weakly, playfully rolling his eyes at his over dramatic brother. Kurt's smile fades, resting the fork for his mashed potatoes in the Styrofoam bowl and rubbing Blaine's leg.

"Are you okay?" He asks, his brow squinting with concern. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just been an exhausting day," Blaine says weakly. Over the past couple hours, the purple under his eyes became more visible and his energy level went down significantly. 

"Do you want us to leave?" Kurt asks, before anyone can even move, Blaine was sitting up straight, wrapping a hand around Kurt's wrist.

"No!" He says quickly, his eyes going wide. Kurt furrows his brow, and by now everyone in the room was looking at him with concern. 

"Okay," Kurt says weakly, putting a hand over his. "We're not going anywhere," He gives him a small, reassuring smile, squeezing his hand tightly. Blaine nods, embarrassed from his little outburst, but relaxes back against his pillows. "Do you want some potatoes? I know they're your favorite," He lets go of Blaine's hand to scoop him out a bit, holding it up with one eyebrow raised.

"No, I'm alright," Blaine shakes his head, bending the straw on his water cup, just to keep his hands busy. Kurt cocks his head, in a persuasive way, and Blaine smiles. "Okay,"

Kurt silently cheers and leans forward to feed a forkful to his boyfriend. 

"So, Kurt, when are Regionals?" Cooper asks, breaking the slightly awkward moment between the group, eating from his chicken leg once more. 

"Oh, uh, two weeks away or something like that," Kurt shrugs, casually, pushing around his potatoes.

"Kurt, you've been going on and on about how excited you are for this! You have a countdown on the fridge for God's sakes," Burt pulls his head back with shock.

"Kurt," Blaine raises one eyebrow, looking at Kurt through hooded eyelashes. Kurt sighs heavily slouching back and rolling his eyes. "Why wouldn't wanna talk about Regionals?"

"I don't know. I just don't feel like it,"

"You never shut up about it!" Burt points out, which earned him a pointed glare from his son. 

"Kurt, are you worried that I'll get upset?" Blaine asks, leaning forward slightly, feeling a bit more discomfort from the tube, but he was told it was normal.

"Well, I would. I mean show choir is your life, Blaine. You almost cried when you performed that song this morning. I don't wanna rave about it to you if we can't share it together,"  
Kurt says in breath, not looking at Blaine yet, and just at his bowl. Blaine sits back. 

Had it really only been this morning that he was singing with Warbler's? It seems like it's been a week since their performance.

"Maybe we should give them a minute," Burt coughs awkwardly, getting up from his seat.

"But-" Cooper starts to protest, but Burt coughs louder and is already ushering him out the door. Pam nods, not wanting to push her luck tonight and followed the two men out the door, leaving the couple alone.

"Kurt, listen to me," Blaine sighs, setting his cup down and taking the bowl from Kurt's grasp, setting it down as well. Kurt reluctantly looks up with tears in starting to form in his eyes. 

'Don't cry,' he tells himself. 'Blaine's had a worse day than you have'. 

"I want you to get excited about these things. Even if I can't do them, I'll still be happy when you win, and excited for you because they're happening to you," Blaine says, slipping both his hands inside Kurt's.

"It's not fair," Kurt whimpers, sucking on his lower lip, to try and stop the tears.

"What's not fair?" 

"That you can't do these things with me. I want to go to Nationals and Regionals with you, and only you. I want you to be there when we win, I want you up on stage with me and carry the trophy home. I just want you to be healthy again," He sobs, looking down at their conjoined hands to try and gather himself.

"I know. I know it's not, but we're gonna get past it. You're the one who always tells me that, and I want you to believe it too," Blaine drags Kurt's chin up with his thumb and forefinger. "Next year we'll be able to do all of that and more, okay?" 

Kurt nods. "Okay," 

Blaine cups Kurt's face, wiping at his cheeks with his thumbs to rid it of it's moisture. He leans in, pressing a lingering kiss to his lips, his forehead resting against Kurt's. The tube felt different against Kurt's cheek, but it would just take getting used to, and he would do it for Blaine. 

"Why were you so scared when I asked if you wanted us to leave?" Kurt blurts, his brow furrowing. Blaine sighs heavily, leaning back a little so his forehead is no longer pressed against Kurt's. 

"I've never spent the night in the hospital alone before,"

"What about when you had that fever? You were in the hospital for four days," Kurt replies, cocking his head to the side.

"Yeah, but Cooper spent the night on the couch, and when the Sadie Hawkins dance happened, Cooper or my mom stayed. It's scary. I don't like hospitals in the day time, but it's going to be so much worse at night. I don't wanna be here," Blaine shrugs, squeezing Kurt's hands tightly.

"Awe, Honey. If I can stay tonight, I will, alright? I'll stay as long as I can," Kurt promises, a small smile on his face. Blaine nods, leaning forward to wrap him in a hug, hiding his face in Kurt's chest. 

"Promise?"

"Promise," Kurt chuckles, sniffling his tears back and petting Blaine's head carefully.

 

It was another thirty minutes before the others came back in, and by now, the pair were back to their original positions, laughing at stupid jokes and talking about Regionals as if nothing had happened in the first place. 

"Kurt, are you ready? Carole just called and it's getting late," Burt says from the doorway, sticking his hands in his jeans, leaving his thumbs to stick out. 

"Can I actually stay the night tonight? I'll sleep on the pull out," Kurt asks, looking over to his dad.

"I wanna say yes, but I don't know what this hospital's policies are. They are different everywhere. Did you want me to ask a nurse?" 

"Yes, please?" Kurt sighs heavily, biting the inside of his cheek. Burt agrees, turning back around, outside the door.

"Is that okay with you, mom?" Blaine asks, looking up shyly from his water cup. 

"Yeah, that's fine. I should probably go take care of your father anyway. Cooper, I'll meet you out by the car," She says, coming up to Blaine's bed and pressing a kiss to his cheek, before leaving the three, so she could get a head start for the parking lot. 

"Can I tell you something?" Cooper asks, sauntering slowly to the couple, his hands stuck deep inside his pockets.

"Yeah, of course," Blaine scrunches his eyebrows.

"I don't wanna go home,"

"Dad?"

"He said he was gonna kick my ass when I got home, and you know how he can be," Cooper says, sucking his cheeks in and looking down at the floor. 

"Why don't you stay too? You don't have to go home," Blaine offers. "Cooper, you did this for me,"

"I know, but I don't want him coming here in the middle of the night and causing a scene. I'll just get it over with. I'm just kind of scared," 

"I'm so sorry," Kurt lets out a breath. "This is-"

"You stop right there," Cooper says with a small smile. "I did it for both of you, because I know my brother is stubborn, and you guys are like attached at the hip, if I didn't call you, I'd be getting an ass beating from not only you, but Blaine," Kurt's smiles a little, hanging his head down. "You guys care about each other, and I make fun of you guys a lot, but it's the most real thing I've ever seen. Don't lose it, okay?" Cooper puts a hand on Kurt's shoulder, who was now looking to his boyfriend with a small, sympathetic smile. Blaine smiles gently, squeezing Kurt's hand in his own. 

"Thank you, Cooper," Kurt says, Blaine nods in agreement.

"Don't thank me," He adds, sucking in a deep breath. "Alright, before I start crying, I'll see you guys tomorrow," He wraps Blaine in a hug and does the same to Kurt, who has a smile on his face at the action. With that he turns back out of the room, just as Burt is walking in, with a small smile on his face.

"Nurses say yes, but if they come in to check on Blaine, you can't complain about losing your beauty sleep," Burt teases. Kurt smiles, and Blaine follows.

"Thank you, Dad,"

"Anything for you guys. Just to warn you, Carole and Finn will probably be here tomorrow to see you," Burt says, patting Blaine's shoulder blade careful not to jostle him too much.  
"That sounds good," Blaine says, with a real smile on his face at the thought of seeing them. It's been awhile and they were like family to him, just as much as Burt, Kurt, and Cooper were. Finn treated him like a second brother and Carole treated him like a third son, it was wonderful. 

"I don't think you really have a choice. Carole was really worried about you," Blaine's heart warms at the statement. "Alright, I love you guys and I'll see you tomorrow after work,"   
"Love you too," The two say at the same time, as Burt makes his way out the door, waving his hand behind him.

 

-0-

 

Blaine hated sleeping in a hospital. He always woke up with a sore back, or crooked neck, not because the mattress was uncomfortable, but because he couldn't spread out and take up the entire thing like he did at home wit his queen sized bed. He usually always slept with feet in one corner and his head in the other, and he couldn't do that anymore, so he woke up with a messed up back that hurt all day. So, the idea of staying here until he was in remission, sounded miserable. It was the last thing he wanted to do. 

He usually was a heavy sleeper as well. A tornado could hit and he wouldn't even move according to Kurt, but sleeping in a hospital also changed that. The sound of the door opening and shutting, stirred him, and the sound of footsteps getting closer woke him up. Blaine rolled over on his side, towards the noise, blinking a few times, he realized it was his brother. 

Cooper was pulling up a chair, trying not to bother Kurt who was still fast asleep on the pull out couch. The blinds were shut still, but Blaine the could see the sunlight starting to pour in. He had slept through the night.

"Cooper? What time is it?" Blaine grumbles, bringing his covers up closer to his face, trying not to tug too hard on his IV that was still in from the night before. 

"It's around eight," Cooper reports, checking the watch on his wrist, leaning back in his chair. It took a few more blinks for Blaine to notice Cooper's face, but when he did, his shot up in bed, his eyes going wide. His older brother sighs heavily, knowing what his reaction was about. 

His left eye was a deep purple and blue mixture, a small gash on his temple was covered up with a butterfly bandage, and his bottom lip was busted open, but the bleeding had stopped. To top it all off, his jaw was always bruising pretty badly. 

"Cooper!" Blaine forgot about his sleeping boyfriend, and practically shouted it. Unfortunately, it had woken Kurt up. The tall, auburn blinks his eyes open, slowly sitting up.

"Blaine? Are you alright?" He asks groggily, his eyes still half shut. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up," Blaine apologizes, instantly feeling bad for shouting.

"I need to be up anyway," He yawns, stretching his arms over his head, and grabbing his phone from the table at the arm of the couch. Cooper turns his head to look at Kurt, and Kurt had to take a double take. "Jesus! What happened to your face?" Kurt worries, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"My dad," Cooper say quietly, rolling his eyes, trying to pass it off as nothing. 

"Dad did this?"

"That's what I said. Can we move on?" Cooper sighs deeply, knowing that Blaine would feel guilty if they kept talking about this topic.

"No, what happened? Was it because of last night?" Blaine asks, his brow furrowing with worry. He reluctantly nods.

"Yeah, I got home and he was not happy that I called Kurt,"

"Cooper, I'm so sorry," Kurt says, shutting his eyes with regret.

"I'm not," Cooper chuckles. 

"You're ridiculous," Blaine shakes his head.

"I know. How'd you guys sleep?" Cooper changed the subject, and the other two didn't wanna push it so, they played into it.

"I don't think I've ever slept that horribly," Kurt groans, sitting at the edge of the pull out, running his hands over his face.

"Same," Blaine mutters, slowly lying back down and turning on his side so he can face the both of them. 

"You look well rested, Blainey. Kurt, not so much," Cooper chuckles, turning to look at Kurt, who already had dark bags under his eyes.

"I told you, this thing is the most uncomfortable thing I have ever slept on,"

"You've never slept on one before?" Blaine asks. 

"Once when my dad had his heart attack, but it was better than this thing," Kurt chuckles, checking his phone for anything new that's happened since he fell asleep the night before. 

"Is Mom here?" Blaine asks, yawning slightly, cuddling up to his pillow.

"No," Cooper's smile fades. "Said she needed to run some errands. I'm sure she'll be here today, and by some miracle, Dad wasn't drinking this morning," He reports, rolling his eyes at the many memories of his dad having a scotch or some whiskey in replacement for his orange juice or coffee. 

James has always been an alcoholic, but he quit a few months after Blaine's incident at the Sadie Hawkins Dance, for unknown reasons. As far as anyone was concerned he was clean and he wasn't as bad as a person. Of course he tried to get Blaine to work on cars to make him straight, and made dark comments when Blaine was gone, and about Cooper when he was away, but he wasn't violent, confrontational, and wasn't so horrible to be around. Something clicked when Blaine was diagnosed. He was back to around the clock drinking and now he was almost worse than he was before, and no one can figure out why.

Pamela always defended him and said it was just out of stress, and there's something that Blaine is holding onto that says it's because he really cares about his son, and it doesn't know how to handle the news, but it's far fetched. Cooper believes he just needed a reason to fall off the wagon, and Blaine's diagnosis was the perfect excuse. Cooper always believed the worse in him, because Blaine didn't see him like Cooper did.

Of course, Blaine has gotten hit a few times, but he was never beat the hell out of, like his brother was. He never heard the nights when James would sneak him at four in the morning, begging his mother for sex. She would say no, but eventually gave up, and it was because Cooper took the room closest to them, knowing that Blaine would hear that if he didn't. It was the smaller room, and the pair had a race of who would get there first, and Cooper purposely lost so Blaine wouldn't have to go through that. 

Cooper has even taken a few beating for his younger brother. When chores weren't done, something was broken, or anything else a little boy could get into, Cooper took the blame, because he wanted-no needed to protect his little brother, but he could only take so much. So, he left out of exhaustion. Blaine grew up at that point, and had to deal with it for a couple years until he went clean for a few years, but now he was seeing him once more.

"What are your plans for today?" Blaine asks, his eyes starting to drift off as he was getting more comfortable, and talking to them made him tired.

"Probably just chill here with you," Cooper shrugs.

"Kurt?"

"I don't know, I'll stay for a few hours, but, I have to go to pick up Finn from Puck's later,"

"Pick him up? Doesn't he have a car?" Blaine furrows his brow.

"Yeah, but his truck broke down a couple days ago, and Puck's license is still suspended," Kurt explains, covering his mouth with his hand, to fight off a yawn. Blaine playfully rolls his eyes, nodding his head.

"Of course,"

"Do you wanna check out the hospital later? You're suppose to get your new room today, maybe we can explore a little," Kurt offers, holding up his phone to try and fix his hair as best he could for now, with no hair product. Blaine shrugs.

"Okay, that sounds fine. You know considering I'm gonna be here a while," Blaine rolls his eyes at the thought. He hated it with fiery passion inside his soul. Kurt sighs heavily, almost glaring at him. 

"Well, you can get over it, because it's what you need," He scolds, half jokingly, pulling on his boots that were sat beside the bed. He slept in his jeans last night, and just kept his long sleeved shirt on, removing his cardigan, so he didn't have a lot to put back on. Blaine huffs, snuggling his face against the pillow. "You know, the more you huff, the worse this is gonna be," He says getting to his feet and putting his hands on his hips, narrowing his eyes towards his boyfriend. 

"I can huff as much as I want," Blaine says playfully, rolling over on his back to watch his boyfriend walk over to the side the other side of the bed. 

"Yeah, okay."

"Where are you going?" Blaine asks, his brow turning in confusion.

"Going to get some coffee from downstairs. Do you want anything?" Kurt asks. 

"No, I'm fine,"

"Cooper?"

"Yeah, can you get me one too?"

"Of course," Kurt leans down to press a quick kiss to Blaine lips, before heading out the door and towards the elevator.

"He's great, isn't he?" Blaine smiles, watching his boyfriend's hips sway as he moved.

"Yeah, yeah. You're in love. Don't make me barf," Cooper rolls his eyes, shaking his head. Blaine smiles, turning back on his side to face his brother.

"So, what are we gonna do?" Blaine asks, picking at his sheet, removing every single, tiny fuzzy left on it, avoiding Cooper's gaze.

"What do you mean?" His smile fades, looking back down at his hands connected over his chest. He swallows thickly.

"About Dad. What are we going to do about it?" The singer furrows his brow, struggling to get the words out of his mouth.

"What are we suppose to do?" 

"I don't know. You can't go back there. He just beat the living shit out of you," His voice is quiet, and Cooper almost has to strain to hear it. 

"You always did,"

"Yeah, but Mom was there to help me, because I was young. Now, she's off in her own world, and won't do anything anymore. She used to say something, or comfort me after he hit me a couple times, but now, it's like she doesn't care anymore," 

Cooper looks up at his little brother. Blaine always saw the best in people, especially his family. The older Anderson would always tell him that their parents weren't very good people, and that he needs to realize this before it's too late, but Blaine always told him he was wrong. Now, it was hitting him, and by the look on his face, he was taking it hard. 

"I know," It's the only thing he can think to say. He was never good at comforting his little brother. 

 

-0-

 

"Alright, guys. This week, we're really going to crack down for Regionals. We need to win this, and I did a little research," Mr. Schuester smirks, starting class, with his usual excited demeanor. 

"Oh no, the last time you did that, we had disco week," Santana grumbles, rolling her eyes, her arms crossed over her Cheerio! uniform.

"Anyway," He starts again, ignoring Santana remark. "The judges like the classics, so this week, we're bringing them out,"

Kurt shoots his hand in the air, his fingers wiggling with anticipation. 

"Yes, Kurt, do you have a song?"

"No, but I do have an announcement," He gets to his feet, stepping down from the risers, and joining his choir teacher in front of the piano. "If I may?"

"Of course," Will nods, gesturing to the floor and taking Kurt's now empty seat. The countertenor clears his throat.

"So, as it is my job to notify you if anything happens with Blaine, I have some news," He opens his mouth to say more, but people were already freaking out.

"Is he okay? Why are you waiting until now to say something?" It was Sam, clearly worried for his best friend.

"Calm down," Kurt sighs heavily, fighting the urge just to roll his eyes, "On Thanksgiving, Blaine was admitted to the hospital, because he passed out at dinner-"

"What?! Oh my god!" Mercedes this time, leaning forwards in her chair, just like everyone else. "Is he okay? What happened?" 

"He passed out from being malnourished, because between the mix of the...tumor, and chemotherapy, he doesn't have an appetite," He still hated saying the word tumor. It scared him to think there was a potential killer inside his boyfriend, feeding off him just to possibly kill it's host and itself. He despised it, and it could just go off. Things could get bad quickly, and it could be all over. "They put a feeding tube in that Thursday night, so they could make sure he was getting what he needed to get chemo again,"

"Where is he now?" Tina asks, her brow furrowed, absorbing up every word that Kurt was saying. 

"He's still in the hospital-"

"So, he not okay?" It was Sam again, obviously still confused on what all this meant for Blaine and his future.

"No, he's fine, but they're keeping him in the hospital to continue treatment. As of Friday, he's officially a cancer inpatient," 

"How long is he going to be in there?" 

"Most likely, until he's in remission. With the fever, and now this, the doctor wants to keep him there so he can do treatment there instead. Lowering risks of getting sick, making sure he gets fed, and that he's doing well,".

"We're going to break him out, right?" Puck asks, sitting up straight, and a look of anger stuck on his face, as if Blaine is being held against his will. 

"No, look, I know this sounds horrible, but it's what's best for him. On Friday, they put him in his own room, in the more permanent wing of the hospital, he can bring whatever he wants in and can decorate it however he wants it. Blaine is fine, he's not sold on the idea, but he'll get there, he just needs support," Kurt explains, with a deep sigh.

"Kurt's right, we have to be there for Blaine," Finn gets to his feet, his lips pulled into a tight line, like he always did when he was sure of something. "Blaine's going through something that nothing but medicine and a good state of mind can fix, and he needs to know he's not alone," 

Kurt smiles a little at his step-brother, happy to see him taking narrative. 

"Mr. Schue, I know we have Regionals coming up in a few weeks, but if you don't mind, I'd like to change the assignment for this week," 

By the look on Schuester's face, he knew it was okay. A surprised, but proud grin was on his face, but eyes hid a tint of worry for his student. 

"Finn, I think that's a wonderful idea. What would you like to change it to?" 

"I wanna change it to 'support', because that's what Blaine needs right now, and I think that if we can find a song, we should sing it to him next week. Kurt can you get him out for a day?"

"Finn, I don't know. Hospital policies and everything, but I can try," Kurt nods, keeping the small smile firm on his lips.

"Great, I think we should do a group number, and Kurt, you should sing something for him," He turns back to his brother. 

"Yeah, that'd be great," He replies, his shoulders relaxing instantly. Knowing that everyone was beside them, made everything seem easier, it was comforting. 

"It needs to be a surprise, so if you can, don't tell him, say you wanna take him out on a date or something, and hopefully, by Friday, we can have this put together for him. Who's in?" 

Everyone in the group started cheering, bright, and hopeful smiles on their faces. They really did care about him. They were willing to give up a week of Regional practice to do this for him. Even though he wasn't there, Kurt knew it would mean everything to Blaine to see this right now.

When Kurt came home the night that he found out Blaine had cancer, something switched in Finn's brain. He's been different, good different. He's been stepping up more. When Kurt was overloaded with everything going on, Finn was there. When he was crying and confused, and needed someone to talk to, Finn was there. When Blaine was put in the hospital the first time and second time, Finn picked up Kurt's chores for a few days, and even helped out more at the garage than usual. It was refreshing, and enlightening. It was nice to know the Kurt had a brother through all this, a crutch.

"Awesome, let's get started then. We don't have long to prepare,"

 

(12:32PM)  
BLAINE: I think this intern has a crush on me. 

(12:33PM)  
BLAINE: She keeps staring at me, and everytime she bends over, she wiggles her ass a little.

(12:36PM)   
KURT: That's hilarious, and yet also humiliating for her. Should I come visit just to plant a big one right on your lips with her there?

(12:38PM)  
BLAINE: Dramatic, I like it ;)

 

Kurt smiles down at his phone, shutting his locker door, and hiking his bag on his shoulder. 

"What are you smiling at? Did your butt buddy text you?" Karosky, smirks, purposely running straight into Kurt's chest, making him stumble back, and quickly shove his phone deep in his pocket, to keep it in some form of safety. He really didn't wanna explain what happened to his cracked phone screen again. Worn out, and sick of dealing with Karosky, Kurt just rolls his eyes, trying to brush past Azimio, so he could get to his study hall before he was late, but Azimio wouldn't let him, and pushed him back a few paces.

"Where do you think you're going?" 

"Study hall. I know that term is foreign to people like you guys, you know the ones that have a reading level of a kindergartner," Kurt cocking his head, raising one eyebrow higher than the other, but gripping his bag strap tightly. Karosky clenches his jaw in anger. He could always dish it out, but never take it.

"Your butt buddy still go here? Or is he just sick of your loserness?" 

"Yeah, good one. I'm impressed," Kurt huffs, rolling his eyes and spinning on his heel, to take a different way.

"What happened to him, anyway? Did he get AIDS or something?" Karosky pushes, wanting to make Kurt angry, just so he could win this. 

"Yeah, because every gay guy has AIDS," 

"Actually, I heard that he was just throwing a pity party somewhere, probably just a wimp and couldn't handle a little bit of fun," Azimio adds on, making everything up. There was no way he knew what was really going on.

"Probably ran away because he was scared," Karosky says, patting his friend on the back, as if they had just said the funniest thing. Kurt stops in his tracks, fighting the urge to just turn around and push their empty head together.

"Should have known he wasn't strong enough," 

"That's it," Kurt turns around, "You don't know what's going on, so you just shut your mouth right now, before I knock your yellow teeth out of your mouth,"

"We hit a nerve, Azimio, we must be right," Karosky laughs, challenging the singer with crossed arms and a raised eyebrow.

"You have no idea what you're talking about! If you were doing what he was doing, you would be down on the ground, unable to get out of bed, because you are nothing but talk! You're as weak as a four year old girl, and as stupid as a box of rocks!" He shouts, making a few people turn to look at the trio on their way past them.

"What did you just say to me?" Karosky uncrosses his arms, walking closer to Kurt, making him back up a few paces.

"You heard me. You're ignorant, and pathetic. Making fun of people, not knowing how bad it is for them right now, not caring if you hurt someone. You're weak and pathetic," Kurt practically growls. In an instant, he's being walked back against the locker, but his face remains stern, and angry.

"Take it back!" Karosky shouts, smacking the cool metal beside Kurt's head, making him flinch with fear.

"Oh, hit a nerve, I must be right," 

"You don't know anything about me," 

"I know enough, and you don't even care to know about Blaine and what he's dealing with right now. It would make you curl up in a ball and cry forever, and make you give up, but he's fighting," 

"Shut up!" Karosky screams, his face inches from Kurt's, his breath hot on his face. Kurt swallows thickly, terrified deep down, but not showing any of it, he wouldn't give him the satisfaction. He was sick of being pushed around by this neanderthal.

"David Karosky!" It was Schuester's voice, and soon Karosky was being ripped away from Kurt by his shoulder by Coach Beiste's strong arms. 

"Kurt, are you okay?" Will asks, as Beiste started yelling at the two knuckleheads. Kurt stares at Karosky, adjusting the strap of his bag.

"Yeah," He nods, swallowing the lump in his throat, his brow still furrowed with anger. "I'm fine," 

"Are you sure?"

"I'm fine!" Kurt yells, but quickly regretting it, when he sees Mr. Schue's hurt expression. "I'm sorry, Mr. Schue, I didn't mean to yell. I'm just-I-" He takes in a breath. bringing a shaking hand to his forehead.

"Come on, you can go sit in my office for a little while, calm down a bit," He offers, putting a hand on his back and leading down the hall, Beiste still yelling at Karosky and Azimio. Azimio was straight faced, and Karosky looked angrier than he ever has before, staring Kurt down. 

 

As soon as Mr. Schuester's office door was shut, Kurt broke down, tears falling down his cheeks at a rapid pace. Will sits himself down at his desk and Kurt throws his bag against the floor and sits in the fold out chair in front of his desk. 

"Kurt, what happened?" Schue asks, leaning over his desk, to make sure he knew he was there for him right now. Kurt shakes his head, unable to form words. "Breathe, Kurt.   
Should I get Ms. Pillsbury?" He shakes his head again, taking a deep breath. Mr. Schuester holds out the tissue box for him, and the singer takes a couple, dabbing at his eyes and nose delicately. 

"Are you ready to talk?" He asks, careful of his voice level, not wanting to upset Kurt anymore. Kurt nods in response, taking a few deep breaths to make sure he was steady enough to talk.

"I hate it. I hate that people say things behind Blaine's back now that's he gone, and they have no idea what he's going through," His voice breaks at the end, and he has to steady himself with a few more breaths and dabs at his eyes. "He's fighting for his life. Passing out, getting infections and feeding tubes, going through chemotherapy, dealing with the after effects, it's an endless list,"

"What did Karosky say, Kurt?" 

"He said that he was weak, and that he was throwing a pity party, that he was wimp, he said so many things, and all I could think about was wiping that smirk off his face," Kurt scoffs, shaking his head, his eyes looking down at his lap, picking at the tissue in his hand. 

"Did he threaten you again?" Will asks, genuinely concerned for his students.

"No, if anything, I threatened him. I told him I would knock his teeth out of his skull," Kurt rolls his eyes at himself. "I can't believe I said that to him," 

"Kurt,"

"I know, it was stupid, and could get me suspended, or whatever, but I don't care, because people like him get no consequences for anything he's done, and Blaine gets cancer, cancer, Shue! How is that right?" Kurt shakes his head, looking up at his teacher. "He pushes people around, teases them, makes them feel scared to go through the halls, and he gets nothing, nothing bad happens to him, but Blaine, who helps everyone in need, always has a smile on his face, sings like an angel, and is so polite, get stage three stomach cancer. It's so stupid!" He yells the last part out of frustration, looking up at the ceiling.

"Kurt, I wonder that too, but it just means he'll pay for it later in life. Whether that be ten years from now, or twenty years from now, he'll get what's coming to him," 

"What about Sue? She goes around doing the same thing as Karosky does now, and she still hasn't paid for anything she's done," Kurt sniffles, shaking his head.

"Sue isn't a bad person. She does things that makes us feel that way, but she's not. I found out she voted for us that one year at Regionals, she cared for Jean, and she cares for Becky. She does things at homeless shelters on Christmas, she comes off as a bad person, but she's not," Will explains. Kurt scoffs, wiping at his nose with his tissue, before dumping it in the trashcan beside his teacher's desk. 

"Are you alright now?"

"As alright as I will be for the next year," The countertenor replies softly, sniffling once more. "I gotta get to class," He gets back to his feet, picking his bag off the floor and hiking it over his shoulder. Will nods, leaning back in his desk chair. The student walks towards the door, going to pull it open, but stopping. "Mr. Schue?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you," Kurt looks at him for a few more seconds before nodding his head and leaving through the door, the halls now practically empty.


	8. Chapter Eight: The School Newspaper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, another part, just ignore the fact that I haven't been active.... It's not because I haven't been motivated to do so, it's just I went to a concert this week, and it was busy, but it was the best night of my life, I went and seen PTX and they were AMAZING! Anyway, I hope you guys still want this, because I really do enjoy doing this. Let me know in the comments and by giving me a kudos. I don't think you guys understand how much they really mean to me. I think I squeal every time I get a new comment, so make my day! Thank you for reading, and enjoy the eight installment! (This is also pretty much just a filler)

"Are you ready for your chemotherapy?" Blaine turns over on his back at the sound of a familiar voice. He's heard it before, light, but scratchy, just couldn't put a face to it. When he was comfortable and awake enough, he realized it was Damien, still wearing maroon colored scrubs, his brown hair pulled back into a tight bun, and his face fuzzy from a five o'clock shadow. 

"Damien?"

"In the flesh. Heard they moved you down here," He smirks, showing off his nice set of pearly whites and pulling a cart behind him.

"Yeah, they did," Blaine shakes his head, his smile fading. He sits up straight, and Damien adjusted the bed for him, so it was sitting up. "Thanks,"

"It's won't be as bad as you think. You really do meet a lot of great people here. Have you been around the hospital, yet?" Damien asks, slipping into a pair of sky blue gloves. 

"Sorta, Kurt took me around a few days ago, but it was quick. I got a little dizzy," He shrugs. "Am I doing chemo in here now?" 

"Yeah, you will. The same rules apply, you can get up and do whatever, so if you want, you can get up and tour the floor a little. It'll be good for you. Meet some of the nurses and people around here. There's a visiting room too, and a garden too," Damien encourages, sliding up backless stool, that Dr. Thomas always uses, and waits for Blaine to roll up his hoodie sleeve so he could get to a vein. 

"Oh, okay. Kurt's suppose to come in a few hours. Maybe we can walk around together," Blaine thinks aloud, watching as Damien uses a small, moist towelette to clean his arm a bit before grabbing a needle off the cart.

"You did have blood drawn this morning, right?" Damien asks, the needle just inches from Blaine's skin. 

"Yeah,"

"Okay, good," Damien replies, sticking the needle through Blaine's skin, making him hiss slightly. "Sorry about that," He chuckles, grabbing a piece of tape from his cart to hold the needle in place.

"It's gotta get there somehow," Blaine sighs heavily, watching Damien fix up his arm. Damien smiles. 

"So, Kurt stuck around, huh?" Damien gets back to his feet, grabbing an IV bag from his cart and hanging it up on the IV pole beside Blaine's bed.

"Yeah, he's been here for me through everything," Blaine smirks at the thought. 

"You guys look good together,"

"Really?"

"Really. You remind me of my husband and I. We were high school sweethearts, and in my senior year, he got into a horrible car accident, took him three years to recover fully," Damien says, sitting back down so he can put the IV through the needle. Blaine was shocked. He didn't know Damien was gay, or married. He never really was observant. Clueless, remember? 

"Wow, I didn't know you were gay?"

"Yup, born and raised," Damien chuckles, hooking the IV to the needle. Blaine smiles. "If you're anything like my husband and I, you guys will be okay. It'll be hard, but it'll all be worth it. Keep your head up," He gets back to his feet, throwing some wrappings away and removing his gloves.

"Thank you, Damien,"

"Of course. I believe in you, Blaine. You're gonna get through this, and with Kurt by your side, you guys will be invincible."

Blaine ducks his head, blushing furiously. Damien sighs heavily, looking down at his feet, his hands on his hips.

"Probably shouldn't be talking about this with you, but I heard about your dad," 

The singer's smile fades instantly. "Who told you? Were you here that night?"

"No, but word gets around about drama in the hospital, and I want you to know, that I also know where that comes from. When I was seventeen, my dad kicked me out and I was living with my husband until we graduated and he was able to go through a move," 

Blaine nods. "Wow, I didn't know,"

"Yeah, because I'm not suppose to be sharing this stuff with patients, but I see a lot of me in you, Blaine, and I want you to know you're not alone. I get it, I get all of it," Damien assures him. The younger boy nods, looking down at his hands. "I even made sure that whenever I'm on shift and you need chemo, I get you," He laughs. 

Blaine chuckles, a smile forming on his face. "Thank you. This means so much to me," He was tearing up at this point.

"Of course, now, I'll be back in around four hours, then you can have an hour break, we'll do another round and then your flush, then you're done," He starts pushing the cart out the door.

"See you then!" He calls after him. When he was gone, he shot off a quick text to Kurt that chemo was in progress, and that he loved him. Kurt would probably think he went off the deep end, just blurting out, but it didn't matter. After that was done, He moved his bed down once more, and rolled over onto his side, careful of not only the tube in his arm, but the one going through his nose. He could probably get in a nap before Kurt got here and they could walk through the floor, and explore a bit more than they did on Friday. 

 

The next time he woke up, it was to the sound of a soft voice, and someone squeezing his hand tightly, as if he was just going to float away. 

"I'm so sorry, Honey," It's broken, and choking on a sob. Their fingers rub his hand gnetly, their breath hot on his skin.

Blaine scrunches his face in confusion. His eyes blinks open slowly at the sound of another sob. His vision is blurry for a few seconds, still blinded by the bright hospital lights, that he was still getting used to. They come into focus soon enough, and he sees his mom sitting at his bedside, gripping his one hand in between both of hers, a few tears dropping onto his olive skin. Her head is bent down, her breath raggid and broken, and her forehead resting against their conjoined hands. 

He's never seen his mother like this before. She always put together. Her fluffy, brown hair with light highlights, put together with almost a full can of hairspray. Bulky jewlery, too high heels, and tight dresses or skirts, and of course, she always had a large bag almost all the time. She's never looked so broken, as she does now.

"Mom?" His voice is thick with sleep, and he feels like he's just slept for a decade instead of a few hours. Pamela shoots het head up.

"Hey, Sweetie," She sniffles, wiping at her eyes quickly, and dropping Blaine's hand in an instant, as if she was caught doing something she was forbidden to do.

"What's wrong?" He asks, slowly sitting up, hissing at the slight pain in his arm from the chemo needle still pumping poison into his body. 

"Nothing," She replies, smoothing out her mauve skirt with her fingers.

"Mom, why are you crying?" Blaine asks, smacking his lips together. She reaches over, handing him his styrofom cup, quietly getting the hint. He takes it from her grasp, sipping from it gingerly. She takes in a deep breath, but it's shaky and unstable. "Mom? Talk to me," 

"I'm just so sorry, Blaine," She whispers, her voice cracking at the last few words.

"What do you mean? For what?" He goes into full panic mode. Did something happen while he was sleeping? Where's Kurt? Shouldn't he be here? Did something happen to him? "Is it Kurt? Where is he?" His eyes go wide.

"No, he's fine," She nods slowly, trying to cover the hurt in her eyes, from Blaine's immediate reaction. "I never protected you from anything, and I'm so sorry, Blaine. You deserve so much more," She sniffles, getting out a handkerchief from her bag and wiping at her nose.

"Mom-" He stops. He didn't know what to say. Was he suppose to lie and say it was okay, because it wasn't. His parents were always gone. His father was an alcoholic and his mother was a bit ditzy. Both of his parents were never around when he needed them. He didn't have a relationship like Kurt did with his mother or one like he has with his Burt.   
When kids were getting picked up from the first day of school, it was his nanny, Amelia, not his mom, picking him up. His mom never sent him off in high spirits, taking him school shopping, or go to his concerts or plays. She was never really there for him, even when he needed her the most. 

Like, the first day he had gotten bullied when he was in first grade. A group of boys teased him for his hair, and how he was often caught humming his own song, complete with his own lyrics. He came home crying, and Amelia had held him and told him it was alright, promising him ice cream after dinner. His parents were no where in sight. He's always resented them for it.

For the first few years, Pam would comfort them when something happened with their father, by buying them a new toy, but after a while, he had to suck it up, because Amelia had things to do and so did his parents. He'd scrape his knee and Cooper would patch it up. Cooper taught him how to ride a bike, and he learned to shave from the internet when he realized he was growing some hair on his chin. It was horrible. He learned either from the internet or from his older brother.

Pam always tries to be there, but even if she is there physically, she's not there mentally. She was always on her phone, probably talking to their father, telling them where they were and what was going on. She always seemed nervous, constantly looking around her, jumping at the slightest noise, unable to hold a long conversation. She was never like the other parents, and Blaine was always jealous of the other kids for it. He just wanted to take his mother to a parent day at school, or have her meet all his friends, and show him his cubby hole at school, but it was always Amelia, which always meant more bullying from other kids.

"He never used to be like that, you know?" Pam sniffles, Blaine looking down at his hands.

"Who?"

"Your father. He used to be the sweetest man I've ever met. He would cater to my every need, ecspecially when I was pregnant with Cooper. He basically worshipped me," She scoffs. 'And now he rapes you' Blaine thinks to himself, knowing this was not the right time to bring something like that up. 

"Then one day, he came home so drunk that he could barely stand. I was eight and a half months pregnant with Cooper at the time. He came stomping through the house, angry about something, stumbling around, mumbling things, then he hit me,"

Blaine's face goes blank. How could you do that to your wife? Or to someone you love? He couldn't imagine doing that to Kurt. When Kurt had hit him, it wasn't out of spite, it was because he hit the wrong nerve, and it was something that he used to be taunted with, and it was once. They both knew it wouldn't happen again, because words like that weren't meant to be thrown around, Blaine knows that, he knew that, and that's why he said it. Kurt apologized countless times and kissed the spot a million times, promising he didn't mean it, with tears rushing down his cheeks, and of course Blaine had forgiven him, even though Kurt still doesn't fully forgive himself. 

He swallows thickly, picking at his sheet, and studying the needle in his left arm, just so he didn't have to look his mother in the eyes. He hated seeing her so hurt and broken like this.

"You know I never met your grandfather until after we had Cooper?"

"What? Why?" Blaine snaps his head up, looking at his mother's distraught appearance. Blaine had met Burt and Carole, and almost all the Hummel's fairly quickly in the relationship. The only ones he's never met were Kurt's aunts, but he never talks about them anyway.

"Because he was just like your dad when he was drunk. Abusive, nasty, horrible to be around. Only he never quit, and he was worse. When I first met your dad, he would come back from family things with a few bruises or cuts, and he would say it was because the played a mean soccer game, but it never added up for me, but I went with it, because I wasn't about to push him," She shakes her head at the thought, looking down at her hands. 

"I never knew that. I thought that grandpa died before you guys got together,"

"Yeah, because your father didn't want him to know about you guys. He does care about you, he does. He died from liver failure before Cooper was born, the day that your dad came home drunk for the first time," 

Blaine nods slowly, trying to absorb all this new information. He's never heard any of this before. His mother or father never talked about, which should be a given. 

"I should have known something was off when were dating. He would avoid bars like the plague, and never have a drink at barbecues. I always figured it was because he didn't like drinking, but then I see him now, and I understand,"

"Mom, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Sweetie," She nods, sniffling back her tears, so she could at least try and talk. 

"Did he still love you when I was born?" He manages through a weak voice. He's always been curious about this. Cooper had once told him in a fit of anger, that he was conceived during one of the times that he came home drunk and horny, but Blaine just ignored it and tried to let it roll off his shoulders, but never could forget his words, echoing through his brain.

"I think he still loves me, but you weren't exactly planned if that's what you're asking," Her voice trails off at the end, and Blaine knew what it meant. Cooper was right. He clears his throat. "You're old enough, I think we can talk about this stuff now," Blaine nods slowly, thinking about his words before he says them.

"Does he still hit you?" Blaine knows he's out of line asking her this, but he needs to know. They need to do something about this. This can't go one anymore. She sighs heavily, looking down in her lap. She removes her large, silver bangle decorated with flowers, and leaves, showing him her bare wrist. Well, it was almost bare, beside the large purple, and yellowed bruise wrapped around her olive skin, faintly making the shape of a hand print.

"Mom-"

"I know, Blaine," She nods slowly. "I should have protected you from that, but I didn't, I just couldn't, and I'm so sorry. I should have kept you safe from him. I should have left him, but I love him. I still love him after everything. He's not a bad person, he just needs help," She lets out a sob. 

"I know, Momma," He says quietly, finding interest in his hands once more. 

"I couldn't protect you from him, or from the bullies, or from the Sadie Hawkins dance, or from cancer. I'm a horrible mother," She cries, hanging her head down in shame, and sobbing into her hands.

"It's okay," Blaine shakes his head, not knowing what else to say. What was he suppose to say? He swings his legs over the side of the bed, and wraps his arms around her, squeezing her tightly, mindful of the chemo IV in his arm. She latches onto him gripping at his dark blue hoodie, and hiding her face in his shoulder.  
"I'm so sorry," She sobs.

"I know," Blaine repeats, rubbing her back tenderly. 

 

Kurt walked through halls, trying to find Blaine's room. He always got lost, and he always ended up having to ask a nurse where he was. In his defense, this hospital was huge and it didn't take much for him to get lost, but finally he recognized the hallway, and started walking a little bit faster, excited to see his boyfriend. 

After the Monday he's had, with the run in with Karosky, and he just wanted some Blaine cuddles and a Project Runway marathon. He would have been earlier, but Cooper had texted him, and wanted to pick up some blankets for Blaine before he left. Of course, Kurt obliged, but it made him a little later than expected, but he was here now, ready for some cuddles. 

He slowed his step when he heard someone elses voice. Someone must already be here, maybe his mom. That means it would be awhile before he got some snuggles. She didn't exactly love the PDA, but never told them to stop, or look at them with disgust like James did. Kurt would always try and pull away, but Blaine never would let him, not caring about what his parents had to say about it. He loved his boyfriend, and he wasn't afraid to show it, he's always proven that, no matter where they were. 

The voices were quiet, so he couldn't hear what anyone was saying. The door was wide open, so Kurt took it as an invitation to go in, just like he always did. He walked through, carrying the blankets in hand. He didn't expect to see Pamela sitting in a waiting chair, between Blaine's legs, gripping onto him, and sobbing her eyes out. Blaine wasn't crying, but he looked upset, but still rubbing his mother's back carefully, taking deep breaths, saying anything to comfort her. 

"It's okay, Mom," He assures him, finally looking up and meeting Kurt's frozen stature. 

"Come back?" Kurt asks, his voice just above a whisper. Blaine shakes his head and holds up his pointer finger to signal 'one minute'. Kurt nods slowly, taking a step back and standing just outside the door. He takes a deep breath, his shoulders relaxing. He'd have to ask Blaine about that later. 

"Mom, you're okay," He hears Blaine assure her. Her sobs get a little shakier, before they stop.

"You're right," Her voice is quiet and unstable. "Okay, I-I'm suppose to go to a meeting. I just wanted to see you first. I'm sorry," A sniffle. 

"Mom, It's fine," Blaine assures her. Kurt leans his head against the wall, closing his eyes and crossing his arms across his chest, the blankets smashed between his chest and arms. 

"I love you, Blaine," She says.

"I love you too, Mom. I'll see you later," Kurt can't see him, but he knows he's smiling. Another sniffle.

"Okay. Have fun with Kurt, Honey," He hears the smack of some lips and then the clicks of her heels. Shit. Kurt busies himself with his phone, trying to look as if he wasn't just eavesdropping. He didn't mean to, he just didn't know what else to do. She stops in her tracks when she sees Kurt just outside the door. Pamela gives him a smile, which Kurt returns, before she's walking off down the hall once more. 

"Kurt, you can come in now," Blaine calls. Kurt sighs heavily, walking back through the door, his face full of sympathy. 

"Hey, you okay?" Kurt asks, coming closer so he can set the small stack of blankets on the edge of the bed.

"No," Blaine shakes his head, rolling his eyes at himself, picking at his fingernails, a bad habit he picked up after the Sadie Hawkins incident.

"You wanna talk about it?" Kurt asks, sitting beside him, and taking one of his hands in his own.

"Later?" Blaine asks, letting out a deep sigh. Kurt nods, resting his chin on Blaine's shoulder, a small smile playing on his lips. Blaine smile gently, leaning his head over to peck his lips. "How was your day?" 

"Horrible," Kurt scoffs, turning back so he was facing forwards, his head still resting against Blaine's padded shoulder.

"What happened?" He asks, rubbing the pad of his thumb over Kurt's knuckles.

"Karosky happened, then I had a breakdown in Mr. Schue's office, was late because Cooper called me and said he needed me to pick up some blankets for you, and I'm just exhausted," Kurt complains, nuzzling his nose against Blaine's shoulder. Blaine chuckles, leaning his cheek against the top of Kurt's head. He really must be tired if he didn't shout at Blaine for messing up his hair.

"What happened with Karosky?"

"Him and Azimio stopped me in the hall to tell me why you weren't at school," Kurt rolls his eyes at the memory. Blaine goes stiff.

"What? Does he know why I'm not really there?" Blaine panics. Kurt lifts his head off Blaine's shoulder.

"No, he doesn't. Why does it matter anyway?"

"Because when I eventually go back, I don't wanna be known as the kid who survived cancer. I just wanna go as a normal person, like it was before. I don't want the stares, or the looks of pity, or maybe pats on the back. I just want friends and family to know. Not the entire school. I'd rather get slushie facials everyday than have that," Blaine explains, looking down at their conjoined hands. "You haven't told anyone right?"

"Only people that know are the Glee club, Mr. Schue, Principal Figgins, and Ms. Pillsbury, but no, students do not know," Kurt chuckles lightly. Blaine smiles gently. He even wished that his teachers and Principal Figgins didn't know, but how else was he suppose to take the online classes for this year? He needed to graduate next year, and they needed to know that he wasn't going to actually be in school. He really didn't want Sue Sylvester to know. No one would know what she would do if she knew. Hopefully, she would respect it, and not tell everyone in the school, but that's not what she did when Quinn was pregnant, and that was one of her very own. 

"So, Damien was my nurse again today," Blaine says, quickly changing the subject.

"Yeah?" Kurt gets comfortable once more against his shoulder.

"Yeah, and he told me some things today," He says, nuzzling his cheek against the top of Kurt's hair, okay, he's really tired. "He's gay by the way," 

"Really? Crazy how my gaydar didn't go off," Kurt jokes.

"You thought Sam AND Finn were gay, and they are two of the straightest people we know," Blaine chuckles, squeezing Kurt's hand.

"Yeah, yeah. What else did he say," Kurt laughs, wrapping his free arm around Blaine's. 

"He says he sees a lot of him in me, and that he knows what you and I are going through. His husband got into a horrible car accident when they were seniors. It took him like three years to recover," 

"Wow, that's horrible. He's okay now, though?"

"As far as I know. I don't know what kind of injuries he had though," He shrugs, careful of Kurt's head. "But, he did say that me and you should go walk around the hospital some more, check things out," 

"That sounds wonderful," Kurt smiles, turning his head up, as Blaine does the same, resting their foreheads against each other's. Blaine starts it with small kiss, but Kurt is soon cupping his cheek, mindful of the tube there, and pulling him in for an open mouthed one. Blaine kisses back, running his tongue along Kurt's teeth, exploring the familiar terrain. Blaine hums happily, wrapping an arm around Kurt's waist, releasing his hand and pulling him closer. 

"This is wonderful," Blaine says quickly, once they break for a quick breath, before continuing. Kurt giggles, both of them feeling it through the kiss. 

"I missed you," Kurt smiles, breaking them up before they got too heated. He closes his eyes, still cupping Blaine's cheek, and his forehead resting heavily against Blaine's.

"I missed you too, we don't exactly get the privacy to do things like this anymore," He replies, squeezing Kurt's waist, looking at Kurt's flushed face, and swollen lips.

"It sucks," Kurt chuckles, opening his eyes so blue meets hazel. "But, I still love you," He adds quickly, pecking his lips again. Blaine smiles.

"I love you too," He lets out a content sigh. "You wanna watch some Project Runway and cuddle?" 

"Uh, and this is why we're together, because I swear you're in my head sometimes," Kurt laughs, pecking his lips once more before lying down with his boyfriend. Blaine smiles, reaching for is remote, while Kurt grabbed the extra blankets from the bottom of the bed, pulling them up and throwing them across each other. 

"I think there's a marathon on today," Blaine reports, trying to find the channel he found earlier in the day. 

"Yay!" Kurt cheers, laying his head against Blaine's chest, winding an arm around his torso, nuzzling his nose against his Dalton hoodie. Blaine's smile grows, as he wraps his arm around Kurt's shoulders squeezing tightly, and setting the remote back on the table, scrunching his face at the slight discomfort his chemo needle was causing him. 

 

Damien was making his rounds, saving Blaine for last. He always did because usually he talked to him the most when he was getting chemo. Pushing his cart down the hall, and stopping at the familiar doorway. He turns into it, now pulling the cart behind him. 

"Blaine-" He starts, but quickly shuts his mouth when his eyes catch sight of what's in front of him. Blaine was sleeping soundly, his head rolled slightly to the side, his left hoodie sleeve rolled up, to show off the chemo needle. His boyfiend, Kurt, was snuggling up against his side, his head resting against his chest and his arm wound around his torso, also sleeping soundly. The TV was on, but left ignored. Damien's heart swells a little at the sight. 

The pair really did remind him of his husband, Marcus, and himself. It reminds him of the countless times he'd spend the night to stay with him when he was still recovering from the accident, snuggled up to him, just like Kurt was right now. He grins, sighing heavily. He remains quiet as he throws on a pair of gloves and disconnects Blaine's IV, but leaving the needle in, he needs to be back in an hour anyway to put another dose in, but it was time for his hour break, which would probably be spent just as he was right now. 

He tosses his gloves away once he's done, coming over to the pair.

"Night boys," Damien whispers, reaching for the blanket that had fallen off at Kurt's waist. He pulls it up, to Kurt's shoulders. He sighs contently, patting Blaine's leg on his back way out. 

There was something about Blaine and Kurt, that made him want to adopt them himself and take care of them. They were good kids, and to see them go through this, even hurts his own heart. As long as Blaine is in this hospital, Damien vows to take care of him as best he can.

 

-0-

 

Blaine groans uncomfortably, going to roll over on his side, but someone was tugging on his arm and there was a weight on his chest.

"Easy there, Tiger," It was Damien who was tugging on his arm, removing his needle from his forearm, and tossing it in the bio-hazard box on his cart. Blaine smiles lightly, still not awake enough to form words. He looks down at the weight on his chest, and realizes it's Kurt, still sleeping. He shifts a little, nuzzling his nose against Blaine's hoodie, and gripping his waist tighter, before he relaxes again. "How you feeling?" 

"Tired," Blaine chuckles, running his free hand over his bald head. He didn't even both with hats anymore if people weren't coming to see him, who haven't already seen him like this. They were hot, and itchy sometimes. He yawns, trying to stretch as much as he could with Kurt sleeping on him. 

"That's normal. You guys napped all day. You're finished with your chemo for the day by the way," Damien announces, pulling Blaine's sleeve down for him, and tossing his gloves in the trash.

"Really? What time is it?" He asks, both of them trying to keep their voices low so Kurt didn't wake up. 

"Quarter after seven. Your brother was here earlier, but he left a couple hours ago, seeing as you two were not moving" Damien chuckles, checking the gold watch on his wrist. 

"Oh, I should probably call him," Blaine laughs, running his hand over his face, trying to get rid of the sleep stuck in his features. Damien smiles back at him.

"Alright, I'll leave you two alone," He gives Blaine a wink before pushing his cart back out through the doorway. Blaine nods after him, still not able to think fast enough to call after him. He sighs heavily, looking back down at his sleeping boyfriend, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. 

His hair was obviously disheveled from sleeping all day. His mouth was slightly a jar, and his brows were scrunched together. His jaw was also slightly smoshed against Blaine. 

The shorter boy grins, sighing with contement. He brings his other hand up to Kurt's face to brush hair from his forehead. Kurt grunts, nuzzling his nose against his boyfriend. Blaine freezes, hoping he doesn't wake up, but unforunetley, he rolled over, laying his leg over Blaine's, and looks up at him. 

"Hi," Kurt smirks, his face still full of sleep.

"Hi," Blaine chuckles, taking the opprotunity to brush a few stray hairs from his face. He groans in response, trying to hide from Blaine's hand. 

"Ew, I must look horrible," Kurt grumbles. 

"No, you could never look horrible," Blaine smiles, trying to coax Kurt out of his hiding spot, which was Blaine's side. Kurt groans in response, shaking his head. "Hey, look at me," He chuckles, attempting to lift Kurt's chin out from his side. Kurt grunts, but does look up at his boyfriend. "You're beautiful, absolutely stunning," He compliments, leaning down to press a kiss to his nose. 

"Yeah, yeah," Kurt sighs heavily, turning his head back down, and nuzzling his nose against the fabric. 

"So, Damien said we should go explore the hospital, we should go," Blaine says, nudging his boyfriend's shoulder. 

"Are you finished with chemo?" Kurt asks, lifting his head just enough to look at Blaine's arm, realizing his sleeve was pulled down, which usually meant that yes, he was finished for the day.

"Yeah, I am. He just came in and took the needle out," Blaine sighs heavily, Kurt moving with his chest.

"Okay, let me wake up, and attempt to fix my hair, and we can do just that," Kurt yawns, slowly sitting up, and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Blaine groans at the loss of his body heat. He sits up as well, but only to pull Kurt back down, and back to his chest, so his fingers were connected over Kurt's chest. Kurt giggles, laying his head against Blaine's shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Kurt asks through his laughter, turning his head to look at him.

"I don't want you to go so fast," Blaine chuckles, pressing light kisses to his shoulder. Kurt chuckles, wrapping a hand around Blaine's head, rubbing his skin softly. 

"Blaine, my curfew is eleven. Are you going to keep me here 'til then?" Kurt teases, his cheeks turning a light pink. 

"Maybe," Blaine jokes, moving his lips up to Kurt's face, so he can pepper it with light kisses, making Kurt squirm under him. 

"Blaine, stop it," He giggles, trying to get from his grasp, but Blaine kept tugging him down, until he was also worn out. He always got worn out easily, and chemo was to blame.

"Okay, go fix your hair, even though it's already amazing," Blaine coos, swinging his legs over the side of his bed, as Kurt was heading to the attached bathroom, to fix his head full of auburn locks. The shorter boy grabs his black beanie from his moveable table and slips it over his head, being careful with his tube that's still tucked behind his ear, but he still tries and hides it with his hat, even though half of it was on his face. "I was thinking we could go check out the visiting room," His voice is a little louder than normal, to make sure Kurt hears it.

"Okay, sounds good," Kurt calls from the next room. Blaine slips on his pair of black canvas shoes, and waits for his boyfriend, picking his phone up from the bedside table, and sticking it in his hoodie pocket. 

"Kurt, are you almost ready?" Blaine groans, rubbing the sleep from the corners of his eyes. 

"Yeah, I'm done," Kurt says, flicking the light switch off, but not before checking himself one more time in the mirror. Blaine playfully shakes his head at him, and Kurt slips his boots back on, grabbing his phone from the place on the bed where it fell out of his pocket during their long nap. The taller boy smiles at the way his boyfriend was staring at him, no shame. Kurt playfully rolls his eyes, cupping Blaine's cheeks to plant a firm kiss to his lips. "Let's go before you burn a hole in me, from all the staring you're doing," He teases.

Blaine chuckles, taking Kurt's hand up and keeping it closed tight within his own. 

"Do you know where you're going?" Kurt asks, looking down the halls, waiting for Blaine to take the lead.

"No idea," Blaine laughs, squeezing Kurt's hand. "Come on, let's go this way," He offers, pulling Kurt down to the left, who shakes his head at him, but follows anyway.

"So, how would you feel about getting out of here for a day, and hanging out?" Kurt asks, taking a deep breath, as they walked down the hall, Blaine looking for any sign of the visiting room they were told about. 

The hallways were wide, with a few patients at this hour roaming around. Since it was filled more with teenagers, than young children, there were no butterfly murals, or grass colored walls, but the walls were decorated with quite a few paintings of some scenic areas, and a few were still life pictures taken by a professional. The walls weren't a bright color, but they were an off white, cream color. The tile still looked like every other hospital, it being white and clean, looking very sterile. Most of the doors were open, but Blaine was too preoccupied with looking for signs to study inside the rooms.

"What were you thinking?" Blaine asks, smiling and nodding towards a sign with the words visiting room and an arrow pointing to the left. 

"Well, I was thinking maybe some dinner, then we could go to the Friday night game. I know how much you liked going to the first one we went to back at Dalton," Kurt smiles, not mentioning his real intentions.

"Here it is!" Blaine exclaims, a bright smile on his face as he entered the room. 

It was quite large. A few round tables were on one half of it, with tons of the same waiting chairs around it. The other half had a few plush looking couches with a large TV in the front of them. More waiting chairs were pushed up against the walls, surronding it, probably to ensure everyone had a place. The walls were a light blue and a large picture of the beach was the first thing you saw when you walked in. 

It was almost empty besides a woman on her phone, with what looked to be her husband who was interacting with who Blaine was guessing to be their son. He was bald like Blaine, and wearing a heavy hoodie and lose sweatpants. There were also a couple of kids, who were obviously patients, sitting on the far left couch, talking aimlessly with the TV playing some sort of game show. Blaine points towards the couches and they sit themselves on the one across the full one. Blaine sits with his body half turned towards his boyfriend, his elbow resting against the top of the couch, and Kurt sat turned towards Blaine, but his hands folded in his lap.

"Is that a yes?" Kurt asks hopeful that their plans will work out.

"I don't know if I'm allowed to leave yet. I've only been here for like four days," Blaine sighs heavily.

"It's a good thing that's already sorted then isn't it?" Kurt smiles.

"Wait, what? How?" 

"I talked to your mom earlier in the day, and she talked to the doctors when she came to visit you today, according to a text I recieved from her an hour before I arrived, you are set to go. You just have to say yes," He grins. Blaine chuckles, hanging his head with silent laughter, shaking his head.

"You're amazing,"

"Good, I'll pick you up at three,"

"The games don't start til like seven. Why so early?" Blaine questions.

"Dinner at Breadstix of course,"

"That still leaves quite a time gap," Blaine chuckles at his boyfriend, lowering his eyes at his boyfriend.

"Stop questioning so much," Kurt scoffs, sighing heavily. He shakes his head, leaning forward to kiss the question from his face, cupping his face. Blaine sighs.

"Maybe if you do that a few more times, it might work," Blaine whispers, his eyes slowly falling shut.

"We're in the middle of a visiting room, with people right across from us," Kurt says quietly, eyeing the group carefully.

"They won't mind, now kiss me again," Blaine smiles, leaning forward himself to kiss him again, letting his hand wrap around Kurt's wrist that was still cupping his face. Kurt chuckles, pecking his lips once more. Blaine nuzzles his nose against the taller boy's, humming softly.

"You guys dont leave much to the imagination, do you?" The pair pulls apart instantly at the sound of low, female voice. Their smiles instantly disappear. Kurt looks over to the group of kids, realizing all of them were gone, besides a teenage girl. Blaine looks down at his lap, wrapping his arms around his middle uncomfortably. "Woah, that was quick. You guys alright?" She jokes. She was sitting on the couch with her knees drawn up to her chest. If it wasn't for the oxygen tube going into her nose, you wouldn't have been able to tell she was sick at all. She looked healthy. Olive skin, and light blue, doe eyes, a small smirk playing on her lips, one drawn on eyebrow higher than the other, and light brown, bobbed hair.

"Sorry," Blaine coughs out quietly, his brows furrowing. "We sometimes forget that not everyone is okay with it,"

"With what?" She scoffs, pulling her head back with confusion, her head tilting to the side. Blaine looks up at Kurt, who returns the same look.

"With 'the gay'," Kurt finishes for him, noting how uncomfortable Blaine was. 

"I don't exactly want a straight couple making out in front of me either," She chuckles, her smile back.

"We were not making out, a peck is hardly a make out," Blaine defends, shaking his head.

"I think I saw some tongue, or maybe your disgusting 'in love' looks were making it seem that way," She jokes. Kurt smiles a little, looking to Blaine who had the same small smile on his face.

"I'm Sadie," She says, breaking the small awkward silence between the three of them.

"Blaine,"

"Kurt," The pair say their names together. She looks at them strangely.

"Wow, how long have you guys been together?" She asks, "You seem to be very...on track," She adds.

"A year and two months?" Kurt questions, looking over to Blaine for confirmation who nods. 

"Wow, I would have guessed you were together for at least a decade," She teases. The two laugh lightly, Kurt hangs his head down, his cheeks turning a light pink, and Blaine smiles, looking to Kurt with a sense of pride.

"There you go again, with the dopey looks," She chuckles, checking her wrist watch for the time. "Alright, as much as I would love to hang out and chat, I'm suppose to go and get this oxygen tank exchanged. I'll see you at support group," She says, nodding towards the couple, getting to her feet.

"Support group? What is that?" Blaine asks, looking to Kurt, who just shrugged.

"It's supprt, and it's in a group," She says sarcastically, taking the handle of her oxygen tank in hand. Blaine rolls his eyes.

"I got that part. I didn't know that was a thing here. Is it mandatory?" He asks.

"Usually we meet on Thursdays, and it might as well be. Marcus usually pushes it quite a bit," She sighs, nodding her head. "Well, nice meeting you two, and I'll see you later, and you at the support group, Blaine," She smirks, tugging on her cart and heading out the door.

"She seems nice," Kurt says, sighing heavily.

"Yeah, she does. I wonder what she's here for?" 

Kurt shrugs, his phone vibrating his pocket. He picks it out, checking the message.

"It's my dad," Kurt sighs, sliding it over to unlock it. "He's wondering when I'm coming home,"

"No, don't ever leave," Blaine groans, leaning forward and wrapping his arms around his boyfriend, not letting him from his grasp.

"Blaine, I have to text back," Kurt laughs, trying to type, with his arms practically strapped down at his sides. 

"No, because I won't let you leave, ever," He sighs heavily, peppering Kurt's face with kisses. They were finally alone in the large room, so Blaine didn't mind showing some PDA. Kurt chuckles, finally managing to type out the text so he can turn his head and place a proper kiss on his lips.

"What has gotten into you today? You are so kissy," Kurt teases, shaking his head. 

"I don't know. I'm just happy," He shrugs, his smile slightly fading. Kurt is quick to make it return by placing yet another kiss on his lips. 

"Let's go back to your room. I told my dad I would head out in an hour. That's enough time for another Project Runway episode," Kurt says with a cocked eyebrow. Blaine smiles.

"Let's go!" Blaine cheers, getting to his feet and leading Kurt back to his room, with a slight bounce in his step, and Kurt just hoped he felt this good the next morning. Usually the day after chemo was always one of the worst, so he was fully prepared to hold him while he slept, or rub his back while he threw up after he got out of school tomorrow. 

 

-0-

Kurt was scrolling through his phone, trying to find a song for the glee club to sing to Blaine on Friday. He knew the perfect song for himself, and had a good idea for the group, but deciding on a song was always hard, no matter what it was for. Almost every week he struggled to pick only one. There were just too many wonderful songs out there.  
"You look like you're concentrating really hard," Mercedes remarks from beside him, also scrolling through her phone, her thumbs ready to start texting once more, while they waited for Mr. Schue to come in and start class.

"Yeah, I'm trying to pick a song for Friday," Kurt sighs heavily, finally giving up and locking his phone. Mercedes was about to speak up, when their choir teacher was coming through the door, a large grin on his face, determined, but bright. 

"Okay guys, we only have two days to figure this out for Friday, and I want ideas now," He points across the room in an instant, first to Quinn. Everyone was shocked at his quick enthusiasum, and instant way to start class.

"Lean on me," She shrugs, obviously not putting much thought into her idea, from being put on the spot so quickly.

"No," Kurt vetos, rolling his eyes, trying not to point them at her, but unable to help himself. Quinn scrunches her eyebrows.

"Why?"

"Because that song isn't for him, it was for you, and for once, not everything has to be about you," Kurt snaps. Everyone looks to him in shock. "Sorry, tough week," he grumbles. A few let up, and Mr. Schue tries to ignore it.

"Puck, you got anything at all?"

"What about Only the Good Die Young? You know, by Billy Joel?" 

"Are you insane?" Kurt's mouth is practically open with shock. Puck looks offended, pulling his head back with confusion.

"What's wrong with that? It's saying that he's good,"

"You're saying it's okay to die, it's not. He's not going to die," Kurt can't help himself, and rolls his eyes, to a point he thought they were gonna roll to the back of his head. Puck grumbles something unintelligable, and crosses his arm over his chest.

"Okay, Kurt does get final say, so moving on, Rachel?" 

"Well, even though they aren't my usual Barbara style, I think to capture the essence of the situation, we should do Cancer by My Chemical Romance,"

"You're kidding, right?" Kurt asks, trying to stifle his laughter.

"No, why would I joke about this?" She defends, her hands planted firmly on her hips, and standing up beside Mr. Schue, just because the attention needed to be on her all the time. "I think that it really captures the emotional part of having cancer, I-"

"No, you don't get it. All of it is emotional," Kurt aruges, his small, amused smile now gone. He gets to his feet, scrunching up his brow. "The chemo, the vomiting, the fatigue, the hair loss, the energy loss, the feeding tubes, his father, the mood swings, and the limitations, all of it is emotional, don't remind him that he's going to die, and that song is incredibly sad because it's him saying goodbye to his loved ones, no we are not singing that song," Kurt scoffs, sitting himself back down in his chair and shaking his head. Rachel huffs, crossing her arms over her chest and heading back to her seat.

"Okay, Finn?"

"I'll Stand by You, by the Pretenders," Finn has an excited, and proud smirk on his face, like he really did come up with a good song to sing to his friend.

"Didn't you sing that to your ex-girlfriend and best friend's baby sonogram?" Kurt questions, raising one eyebrow higher than the other. Finn hangs his head down.

"Maybe," He shrugs. "But, so what? It's still a good song to show support,"

"I just told you why. No, we aren't doing that one, try again," Kurt replies, sighing deeply.

"Why don't you come up with a song then, Mr. Bossy Pants?" Puck remarks, turning in his chair to face Kurt.

"Stand by You, by-"

"I just said that!" Finn shouts, getting to his feet.

"By, Rachel Patton," Kurt emphasises her name, adding a nice, long eye roll to it. "It's perfect, saying that we'll always be there for him, no matter what. It's an amazing song, not too slow, but not too up beat either, it's our best choice," Kurt adds. Finn returns to his seat, a light blush to his cheeks at reacting to quickly.

"Fine, but it's not as good as my choice," Rachel huffs, holding her head higher in the air. Kurt rolls his eyes, flicking his tongue over his teeth. By the end of class, he would be forever stuck staring at his brain at this point.

"Alright, does everyone agree on that?" Mr. Schue asks, looking around the room for any one to disagree, luckily no one did. "Good, now we can start rehearsing-" 

"Mr. Schue, there's something else I wanna bring up," Kurt raises his hand, tilting his head to the side. His choir teacher sighs heavily, but gestures for him to continue.

"I wanna bring the Warblers in for the performance. They can do their own song if they please," 

"No!" Rachel shouts, crossing her arms over her chest and crossing one leg over the other. "We are not singing with the competition this year at Regionals,"

"Shut up," Kurt grumbles.

"Kurt," Mr. Schue warns. Kurt makes a face, but doesn't say anything until Rachel speaks up.

"I won't perform then, and there's no way you guys will pull off a number like that with out my flexible voice,"

"We'll manage," Santana mumbles, kicking the back of her chair lightly, making her whip her head around towards the Latino girl, who sticks her gives the short girl her best bitch glare.

"Why are we bringing them? Lord Tubbington not to trust them," Brittany says, clinging to Santana's arm, her head resting on her shoulder. Santana gives her a weird look, but lets Kurt speak up.

"Because this performance isn't about us, or about competition," He aims the last part to Rachel, who huffs disapporvingly. "It's about Blaine, and making sure he isn't alone, and the Warblers were like brothers to him. They should be included in this," 

"I agree," Mr. Schuester nods, leaning against the piano.

"I won't perform with them," Rachel huffs, hanging her head up higher than normal. She was lucky it wasn't raining, or she would probably drown.

"Doesn't matter, because it's not about you. So, you don't have to if you don't want to," It was Sam that spoke up, and Kurt looks to him, a large smile on his face. Sam was always one of the few to stick up for Blaine.

"I want a solo then, so I can show Blaine-"

"No!" Kurt wouldn't even let her finish. "Blaine is just as fed up with your constant solos as the rest of us, so there's no way you're getting one this time," Kurt sighs heavily, his eyes wide, at the thought of Rachel singing some song from Funny Girl, just to showcase her voice, and miss the point of Friday.

"Agreed!" Mercedes says nodding. 

"So, the Warblers are coming?" Finn asks, turning to look at Schuester.

"I think it's a great idea. Kurt, can you get a hold of them?"

"Of course I can. I'll make sure they have a song ready by then. They're pretty goo at putting spontanious Katy Perry numbers together, so they should be fine," 

"Well, it's settled. Now, we need to start-"

"Wait, what's your song, Kurt?" Santana asks, turning to look at the tall auburn, with a raised eyebrow. "Since you have so many ideas for what we should sing," Will hangs his head down. Was he ever going to start class?

"Well, personally, I was thinking I would do-"

"Kurt! You need to see this!" Tina was quickly running into the room, with Mike hot on her heels. She looked out of breath, like she had run all the way here, even with her tall go-go boots. Her face was full of panic, her eyes wide and her brows furrowed with anxiety.

"What? What happened?" Kurt's on his feet in an instant, rushing after the couple.

"I swear we didn't tell him anything," Tina explains, as Kurt and Mike trailed after her through the empty halls. Most of the Glee members were following them at this point, just as curious as Kurt was.

"Tina, what happened?" Kurt's mind was instantly going the worst possibility, like something happened to Blaine or to his dad. 

"We were just going through the halls and we saw this," Tina made a quick right turn and to the bulletin board, where the school newspaper was always on display every single Wednesday afternoon. Kurt's heart lept instantly into his throat at the sight of the headline.

"Dying Student at McKinely: The Blaine Anderson File" 

It was in big, bold, black letters, you could practically see it from a mile away. Kurt swallows thickly, before ripping it down and turning to the group that had followed him down the hall.

"Who did it? Who spread it?" Kurt asks, his voice low, but meaningful. He looks right at Rachel.

"Why are you looking at me?" She asks, obviously offended, her eyes full of panic and hurt, as if Kurt was going to punch her, which wasn't to far off.

"I wouldn't put it past you, Rachel," He says, his eyebrows raised eye with anger, and his jaw clenched. She swallows the lump in her throat, looking down at the floor.

"It wasn't me," She says quietly. Kurt studies her for a few more seconds before saying anything else.

"I believe you," He says finally, "But, which one of you did it? You guys are the only ones that know at this school, besides his teachers, and they're under strict policies not to tell anyone, especially not the writer of the school newspaper," 

Everyone looks around expecting someone to just come out and say they did it, but no one does. Everyone remains silent, not a word is exchange, only a few awkward looks to each other.

"Tell me!" Kurt shouts.

"Kurt, calm down," Mr. Schue warns, going to put a hand on his shoulder, but Kurt rips it away.

"No, I'm sick of being calm! This is not okay! Blaine trusted you people to keep your mouths shut, because he didn't want anyone to know about this, and now look what you've done! The entire school knows and it's one of your guys' fault!" Kurt screeches, his eyes filling with anger tears. The bell rings at that moment, a bunch of students filling the halls, filling it quickly. Kurt snaps his head up searching the rat who wrote the article, almost forgetting about the glee club entirely.

It takes a few seconds, but he quickly finds the bushy haired, Jewish, weasel, and Kurt is making a break for him, managing to slip past Mr. Schuester easily with his agility. The small boy was coming out from the History room, his books clutched tightly to his chest. Mr. Schue and Finn were calling after him, all Kurt could see was red.

"Jacob!" Kurt shouts, making half the hallway occupants turn their heads towards Kurt, more than a few of them carrying the school newspaper under their arms. "I swear to God, you better run fast!" He warns, starting to jog towards him, trying to avoid the people just standing around. His tears were coming faster, feeling betrayed and hurt, but most of all worried, because this was Blaine's one request, that no one at school find out, and now everyone that can read knows about what's going on. 

Jacob goes pale, backing up into the lockers.

"What did you do?!" Kurt yells, making a grab for the boy, but soon a pair of strong arms were wrapped around his waist. "Let me go! He needs to pay for what he did! Blaine doesn't deserve this!" Kurt screeches, trying to grip at the arms, still not bothering to look back at who it was. He was kicking and trying to pry the arms off of him, tears rushing harshly down his cheeks. "Let me down!" Kurt yells again, kicking his legs, and reaching his arms out for the scared boy in front of him. 

"Kurt, you gotta calm down," it was Finn that was holding him back, standing his ground and his long, lanky arms, wrapped tightly around his waist, not planning to budge any time soon. His voice was soft and comforting, and it made Kurt's tears come faster.

"No! Don't tell me to calm down!" Kurt cries, still trying to get out from his grasp. "You don't understand! It's the one thing he didn't want," He sobs out, still kicking his legs out and trying to pry at his step-brother's arms.

"Kurt, please, it's okay," Finn promises, his grip tightening around his brother. Kurt's kicks and screams get weaker and weaker by the second. 

"You- you don't understand," He cries, slowly falling into a heap in his brother's arms, falling to the floor, Finn holding onto him tightly, kneeling down with him, his arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders.

"It's okay," Finn repeats, as Kurt grips at his varsity jacket, tears pouring harshly down his cheeks at this point.

"I'm so sorry, B," He whispers, his lower lips quivering. 

"Kurt, it's fine," 

"No, it's not. I told him no one would ever find out, and everything would be fine, but it's not, it's not fine!" He cries, hiding his face into his brother's shoulder. At this point everyone that was in the hallway was staring at the pair, even the glee club and Mr. Schue. They were all shocked. As much as Kurt had gotten bullied and teased, he's never cried like this before in public, and certainly never gone after someone like he had with Jacob Ben Isarael just now. 

"Kurt, calm down. He'll understand. This isn't your fault," The football player soothes, rubbing Kurt's back gently, allowing him to cry into his varsity jacket, not caring about it getting wet, allowing him to sob freely. He looks around nervously at everyone staring at them with wide eyes. Most of them probably didn't even know Kurt existed, and now he was the loudest student in the school.

"No, he won't. He'll never come back to this school. No one will ever look at him the same. It's all my fault. I should have protected him from this. I should have known this was going to happen," His voice trails off on the last few words, but Finn understood it all.

"No, you had no idea. We'll get through this, Kurt, I promise. Blaine will understand," Finn consoles, continuing to rub his back in a comforting matter. Even Azimio and Dave who were coming out of PE, with their gym bags on their shoulders, were staring with shock, Dave clutching a copy of the same newspaper that Kurt had thrown aside in his state or rage when he made a break for the small boy.

"Everyone's read it, everyone knows now," Kurt cries harder, gripping at Finn like he was about to disappear.

"It's okay, Kurt," He doesn't know what else to say. There isn't much left to be said. "We'll tell Blaine together, okay? We'll go down to the hospital after school and visit him, and we'll tell him, alright?" He pulls back from the hug to look at Kurt in the face, his blue, green, and grey eyes red and bloodshot, the rims of his eyes bright red, and his cheeks puffy from the tears. Kurt nods slowly, choking out a sob.

"Mr. Schuester, can we go back to the choir room?" Finn asks, looking up to his choir teacher, who was still frozen in his spot, he's never seen Kurt do something like this. Of course, he's seen him cry and get upset when everything with Karosky happened, but nothing like this, not even close.

"Oh, yeah, of course, Finn," He makes a quick break for the choir room, clearing a path for them.

"Come on, Kurt," Finn coaxes him up, wrapping an arm around his waist. Kurt nods, wrapping his own arm around his brother, and leaning heavily onto him, still hiding his face into his jacket, letting himself be led back to the only safe place in this school. The entire way there, people were staring at him still shell shocked, even people around the corner had heard him, including Coach Sue who had her lips pursed and his arms crossed over herself, William glared at her, and Finn just ignored her.


	9. Chapter Nine: Support Group

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how I feel about this one, but I hope you guys still enjoy. I was editing and I don't know how happy I am with it, but it's kind of a start to something in the story, and I didn't know a better way to write it, so please enjoy anyway! I also just wanna say, thank you for all your comments. You have no idea how much they mean to me, it just makes my day a thousand times better. So, thank you for reading this and keeping with me through this entire thing, thank you and enjoy this chapter!

As soon as they were in the classroom, Mr. Schue shut and locked the door and Finn sat Kurt down in one of the chairs in the front. 

"Kurt, are you okay?" Mr. Schuester asks, kneeling down in front of his student, concern written all over his face.

"No," Kurt shakes his head, hanging his head down, tears falling down his cheeks. Mr. Schue nods, understanding, but not knowing what to do. "I just wanna go see Blaine now," Kurt sniffles. Their choir teaches sighs heavily, and against better judgement nods.

"Go," He says, "But, Finn you should go with him. You shouldn't be driving in this state," He decides, putting a hand on Kurt's knee. Kurt and Finn both snap their heads towards him. 

"Really?" 

"Yeah, just don't tell anyone I'm letting you go. I get it, I really do, there's only a couple hours left anyway. Don't fall behind on your work though,"

"I won't, I promise," Kurt allows himself a small smile. "Thank you," Before Mr. Schue can react, Kurt is tackling him with a hug. It takes a second before he's hugging back, patting his back lightly, with a smile on his face. 

"Of course, Kurt. We all care about you, and Blaine," He says finally, deciding those were the best words. Kurt nods into his should before letting him go. "I don't exactly see you focusing in your classes anyway with your head like this," Kurt blushes slightly, knowing he was right.

"Give me your keys," Finn says, holding his hand out, his palm up. Kurt digs through his pockets, quickly finding his car keys and handing them to his step-brother. Finn gets up from his kneeling position, as does Mr. Schue. 

"Go out the back," He instructs, going to the far wall, and opening up the fire exit door. The two slip through and hurry towards the front parking lot to go get Kurt's Navigator. Schue shuts the door with a click, and they're alone.

Finn wraps an arm around Kurt's shoulders, hesitantly. At first, Kurt gave him a weird look, and Finn looked like he had been caught staring at Rachel's boobs, but when Kurt realized he meant it out of comfort, he leaned into the touch, walking a bit closer to his brother. Finn relaxes slightly, a small smirk forming on his lips, a small victory. Kurt's shoulders slump down, and Finn feels it, his grin getting wider. He can help.

"Where are you parked?" Finn asks, clearing his throat out. 

"Oh, I'm just in front of the gym doors in the student parking lot," Kurt replies, getting enough confidence to lay his head on his brother, right below his shoulder, seeing as he wasn't tall enough to reach. He enjoyed the comfort Finn offered. The football player nods, playing with the keys in his hand as they approached the student parking. They break apart to climb in the car, Finn in the driver's seat and Kurt in the passenger side. 

It's silent until they're out of sight from the school building, Kurt was sitting anxiously, with his elbow on the door, biting his fingernails, his eyes still bloodshot and his cheek stained red from crying. Finn was looking between the road and Kurt, not really knowing what else to do, one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting on the door.  
"He's not going to freak out," Finn assures him, breaking the silence between them.

"You don't know that," Kurt shakes his head, bringing his hands to rest in his lap, looking down at them nervously.

"No, I don't, but it's not your fault, so he can't be mad at you," The taller one says, shrugging his shoulders. Kurt scoffs.

"Yeah, but doesn't mean he won't be. I should have done something,"

"What could you have done? Honestly," 

"I don't know. Been more careful when I talked to you guys. Not had the conversation in the middle of the hallway, when he told me about it. I don't know," His tears were starting again, gathering in the corner of his eyes, and his breath was getting bit more ragged.

"Don't think about it so much. He may be upset at first, but you'll be there to comfort him. I mean he was suppose to go the game anyway," 

"A lot of people still don't even know he exist, and he doesn't exactly look like Blaine anymore. They probably wouldn't have even known it was him," 

He was right. Cancer has taken a lot from him. His hair on his head was gone, his eyebrows were thinning, his long eyelashes, were almost gone from chemo as well. His skin color was no longer olive, and had a pale tint to it. His cheeks were a bit sunken in, still recovering from the lack of nutrients, and from exhaustion, adding to the permanent dark bags under his eyes. He of course had the feeding tube in now, and he had lost a considerable amount of weight in the past month. His hazel eyes always used to carry that glow, they were always full of life, but they no longer did. They were dull now, no longer carrying the happiness that was practically contagious to everyone around him. To say the least, he wasn't himself anymore. 

Finn goes silent at that, not having anymore words to try and help. He was out of ideas, so they sat in silence the rest of the way to the hospital.

 

-0-

 

Blaine sighs heavily, drumming on his chest lightly, while a nurse was cleaning off a can with a disinfectant wipe beside him. This was by far the worst part of his day, having to get fed. It took longer than he thought, and it was still a weird concept to him. Cooper had been shooed out by him, claiming he needed some privacy. Blaine doens't know where he went, but he was gone and that's what mattered. 

"You okay?" The tall, ginger haired nurse asks, pouring some of the formula into a cup to get the right measurements.

"Yeah, fine, just not used to....this, yet," He replies, putting emphasis on the word 'this'. The woman nods, sucking some of the formula into a syringe and taking the cap off Blaine's tube. 

"I get it. It takes a while, but it'll be normal soon," 

Blaine cringes at her words, but he doesn't say anything. He didn't want this to be normal. He wanted it to be over. She notes the way he repsonded, and remains quiet while she gets another syringe full. Blaine closes his eyes briefly, leaning back against his pillows. 

A knock on the doorframe makes him open his eyes once more. Kurt was standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, and his eyebrows raised with, sympathy? 

"Kurt," Blaine smiles gently, just as Finn came into view behind him, his hands stuck deep inside his jean pockets, looking around the room awkwardly. 

"Boys, you can't be in here, privacy and all," The nurse says, turning, and looking to the pair. Kurt nods, starting to leave, but Blaine stopped them.

"No, it's fine, they can stay," Blaine says, giving his boyfriend a small smile.

"Oh, so your brother can't stay, but your friends can?" She teases, filling another syringe. Blaine blushes, looking down at his lap.

"What are you guys doing here? Shouldn't you guys be in school? It's only one," Blaine asks, looking up to the pair, as they slowly came in. Kurt was about to reply, but that was the moment Blaine noticed his red cheeks, and bloodshot eyes. "Kurt? What happened?" He shoots up, making the nurse gasp at the sudden movement, the tub still in her hand, and formula still being pushed down the tube.

"Blaine, you're going to make me yank this thing right out of you," She shakes her head at him. 

"Sorry, Blaine mumbles, leaning back against the pillows, putting a hand over the tube where it was taped to his face still. Kurt smiles gently, pulling up a chair and taking one of his hands. He sucks in a deep breath. "Kurt, are you okay?" 

The auburn nods numbly, his tears starting up again.

"I'm sorry, B," He shakes his head, taking in a ragged breath. Blaine heart picks up, squeezing his boyfriend's hand tightly, which Kurt gives right back. Finn swallows, standing awkwardly beside the bed, trying not to stare at the way Blaine was actually eating right now.

"OKay, you're all done, Blaine. I'll be back later tonight," The nurse says, capping Blaine's feeding tube and grabbing all her things, pushing the small cart out the door, leaving the three alone. She makes sure to shut the door behind her, seeing as it looked like they needed it. 

"Kurt?"

"It was in the school newspaper," Kurt says quietly, trying to focus on his words, so he could get them out. Blaine looks at him strangely, he looks to Finn with a questioning look, but Finn avoided his gaze, knowing Kurt should tell him. "Everyone knows you have cancer now, Jacob put it in the newspaper," He manages, squeezing Blaine's hand. Blaine's faces drops, his eyes going wide. This was the one thing he didn't want. 

"How many people saw it?" Blaine asks quietly, swallowing the lump that sat in his throat behind his Adam's apple. 

"Everyone. It was the headline. I'm so sorry," Kurt chokes out quickly, sitting on the edge of the bed now. Blaine nods slowly, looking down at his lap, not knowing what to say. 

"We think one of the Glee club members tipped him off," Finn says from behind his brother, finally working the courage to say something. Blaine nods again. 

"Who?" He asks, tears starting to gather in his eyes at the thought of having to go back to school with everyone knowing he was sick. He would never be treated the same ever again. This was going to be a long term change, something he could never take back. 

"We don't know," Kurt shrugs helplessly, squeezing Blaine's hands once more to let him know he was there. The shorter boy nods slowly again. 

"Kurt went crazy on them when he found out. He was screaming, but no one confessed, but who would?" The football player sighs heavily, looking down at his shoes. The former Warbler looks up at his boyfriend with a sense of reassurance, knowing he was just as upset as he was. Kurt gives him a small, encouraging smile, which Blaine returns, leaning forward to wrap his arms around his neck, and hold him there, taking in a deep breath to capture the scent of him. It smelled like home. Kurt comforts him by rubbing soothing circles into the small of his back, his lips hovering over the side of his head. Finn stands there, busying himself by staring down at his shoe, hitting it against the tile, and blowing through his lips. 

"It'll work out," Kurt promises, whispering it to Blaine's ear. Blaine nods, squeezing Kurt tight before pulling back, more tears falling down his cheeks. "Maybe they won't care," He shrugs. 

"No, it's juicy gossip. They'll care," Blaine replies softly. He thinks to himself for a second. "I can't go on Friday. I can't go back to that school, ever," 

"No!" Kurt and Finn shout at the same time. They look to each other quickly before settling down once more. Blaine scrunches his brow in confusion. 

"We should still go. It'll be fun. We'll wrap you up in a scarf, a hat, and a coat, and no one will even know you're there," Kurt assures him, giving him a tiny smile. Blaine nods slowly.

"Yeah, and I want you to come see me play," Finn covers, a smirk on his lips. 

"Okay, I'll go," Blaine says, looking back to his boyfriend carefully. 

"Um, I think that a Friend's marathon is on today, do you guys wanna stay and watch it with me?" Blaine offers, coughing awkwardly.

"That's it? You don't care?" Finn asks, scrunching his brow with confusion.

"No point in getting upset over spilled milk," Blaine shrugs. "We'll deal with it later," He adds. Kurt gives him a smile, squeezing his hand. This is how he handled most things, by pushing them aside until he couldn't anymore. Finn nods slowly. If it had been him, he would be furious, but Blaine was handling it like champ, too easily if you asked him.

"So, you wanna stay, Finn?" Blaine asks, already reaching for his remote.

"Yeah, sure," He shrugs, taking Kurt's abandoned chair and sitting down, resting his feet up on the side of Blaine's bed. Blaine nods as Kurt curls up on his side, allowing Blaine to drape and arm around his shoulders and rub his arm carefully, while Kurt snuggled against his chest, wrapping an arm around his torso, using the double layers of clothing Blaine had on as a pillow. 

Kurt knows that they'll talk about this later, and they it will be brought up again. Blaine will confess his true feelings towards it, and it won't be so easy to let go of, but right now, if that's what Blaine wanted to do, then that's what they'd do.

 

-0-

 

As soon as Mr. Schuester had escorted Kurt and Finn out of the hall, Sam was pushing past the other Glee members, running after Jacob Ben Israel, who was attempting to book it down the hall.

"Hey!" Sam screeches, not caring about all the people he was shoving aside. Jacob ignored him, probably realizing the severity of what he wrote and started running faster, but he made the mistake of turning his head to look behind him, and Sam had grabbed him by the shoulder, slamming him against the lockers, gripping the front of his t-shirt.

"What the hell, man?" He shouts, his brow furrowed with anger.

"I'm sorry, please don't hurt me," The short jewish boy pleads, putting his shaking hands in the air. 

"Why did you write that?" Sam asks, shoving him against the locker, harder this time, ignoring the boy's pleas. "You messed with my best friend,"

"Someone tipped me off and a good journalist, will even write the hard stuff, not caring who gets hurt," He defends, his voic jumping two octavies up with fear.

"Who? Who tipped you off?" 

"They asked to be remained annoyonmus, but I would be careful with your precious glee club,"

"Tell me or you'll be dead meat, man!" Sam threatens. This was out of character for him, but he could care less at this point. You mess with Blaine, you mess with Blam, and if you mess with Blam, Sam will kill you. Jacob whimpers in response.

"Hey! Kentucky Fried Stripper! Let the small Jew go!" It was Sue's voice coming from down the hall, her voice practically steaming with anger. Sam turns his upper lip in disgust before letting the journalist fall to the floor. "Walk away!" She adds, pulling on his shoulder. He shakes it off, shaking his head.

"Glee meeting! Now!" Sam screeches, talking to all the glee kids who were watching with shock at the scene that had unfolded. It was a lot to take in. Sam heads for the choir room, opening one of the doors, just as Mr. Schue was about to step out. "Mr. Schue, we're having a New Directions meeting,"

"Sam, you look angry, are you-"

"Yes, I'm sure. We can take a bunch of bullies outside of this room, but this room is suppose to be safe, and when something like this happens, it changes everything!" Sam exclaims, watching as everyone filed back into the room and took their seats. 

"Maybe you should just calm down-" Artie starts, putting his chair in park on the left side.

"No! Don't tell me to calm down! You guys should be just as angry as I am! Blaine is one of us, it doesn't matter if he was a Warbler, or if you don't trust him, because he's one of us, and we don't do this to each other!" His voice is louder than it needs to be, so Will shuts the doors, and sits at the piano, letting Sam continue.

"So, which one of you was it?" Sam starts again, putting his hands on his hips, steam practically coming from his ears from how angry he was. The room was silent. Everyone looked around at each other, but no one said anything. "Come on! Don't be a coward!" Sam shouts. "Fess up! Which one of you betrayed Blaine like this?!"

"Sam, you're overreacting," Quinn scoffs, shaking her head. "Blaine is fine. He wasn't hurt by any of this,"

"Don't say that, Quinn. You know that when he finds out, he's going to be hurt, more hurt. He's already hurting from everything going on in his life right now, and now his friends are turning on him," It was Tina who said that, her voice quiet, but everyone heard her. Quinn looks down at her lap, playing with her bracelet, trying to find a distraction, and avoid everyone's eyes that were currently on her.

"He never specifically said he didn't want people to know, maybe someone just misunderstood him," Rachel defends, looking off to the side like she always did when she was trying to make her case, and make it seem like she's right.

"Yeah, he did. When he told us, he said he didn't want anyone to know, and told us not to say anything," Mike adds, looking down at his lap, his lips pushed together in sympathy for his friend. 

"Was it you, Rachel?" Sam asks, his arms crossed over his chest, and his brow furrowed. Rachel snaps her eyes up to her friend.

"What? No, are you insane? It wasn't me," She shrugs helplessly, leaning back in her chair with a huff, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Rachel," Mr. Schue starts, studying his student carefully.

"It wasn't me, Mr. Schue. I promise," She defends herself, shaking her head. Sam looks at her, studying her facial expression before nodding.

"I believe you," He says, nodding his head. Rachel's shoulder relax slightly. 

"I just don't see what the big deal is? So what if everyone knows? They were bound to find out anyway," Santana says, cocking her head to side, and shrugging shoulders.

"No one will ever treat him the same-"

"Maybe that's a good thing, it's not like he was exactly popular in the first place," Santana remarks.

"Being popular isn't the problem. They're going to treat him like he's sick forever, or walk on egg shells, and he will never be able to be normal again," Sam continues, sticking his hands deep inside his jean pockets. Santana scoffs, leaning back in her chair, rolling her eyes at the football player. 

"Sam's right, a lot of people don't know how to deal with that kind of stuff," Mr. Schue chimes in, his lips planted in a firm line. The room goes silent once more, everyone looking around to each other, seeing who looked guilty. 

"Can we leave, now? Obviously, they aren't going to fess up," Quinn sighs heavily. Sam looks to Mr. Schue, who just shrugged.

"I guess, but don't think this is over. We will find out who did this," Schuester warns, pushing off the piano. As soon as the words came from his mouth, every one was filing out of the room, and into the hallway to their next class.

 

-0-

 

He didn't wanna go. He was dealing with everything perfectly fine, he didn't need a damn support group. Damien had pushed him to go, and so did Kurt, both saying it would help him a lot. So, that's where he found himself, walking through the halls on Thursday at noon, with his hands jammed into his sweatpants pockets, trying to come up with a good excuse to turn around and go back to his room and finish up the final season of 'Friends'. 

A few patients were already there. Sadie was there, sitting and talking to one of the same people she was talking to the night they met her. He had a feeding tube just like Blaine did, his hair also missing. He was paler than Kurt was and was extremely skinny, to the point you could see his collar bones, and prominent jaw line. His eyebrows were gone, but Blaine could see the faint outline of where they used to be. His dark brown eyes were sunken in, with dark bags under them, just like Blaine's were. 

Beside him was a girl who still had a head full of hair. Long and blonde, in wavy curls. She was staring down at her lap, picking at her fingernails. Besides her small demeanor, and dark bags, she looked realitvely healthy for a cancer patient. Next to her, was a boy looking to be the oldest, or maybe the cancer had just aged him. He was too preoccupied with an old Gameboy to pay attention to anything going on around him. A snapback was sitting on his knee, and his head was almost bare beside the large scar running across the side of his head, no bandage, but it was clear it was realatively new considering how red it was. His eyebrows were starting to come in, showing off the black hairs nicely against his pale skin and boney structure. 

Lastly at the edge of the chair was a dark skinned boy, with his fedora pulled over his eyes, and his arms crossed over his chest. He wore a pair of jeans, and a graffiti styled sweater. Blaine couldn't see his face, but he looked pretty fit judging by the rest of his body.

They all looked terrible, and sick, and in Blaine's head, he didn't fit into that catergory, so he took one step in, and sighed heavily, before spinning on his heels and starting back for the door, but he just ended up running into a body. 

"Sorry," Blaine mumbles, looking up at tall man standing in front of him.

"It's fine, it happens," He says showing off a nice line of pearly whites. The man was obviously an adult, he had short brown hair, combed back into a messy coif. A pair of black framed glasses sat on his nose, hiding his light blue eyes, that reminded Blaine of Kurt's. He even had the faint showing of a five o'clock shadow growing on his chin. His name tag on his chest read, 'Marcus'. He must be the one running this thing.

"Hi, you must be Blaine," Marcus says sticking out his hand, abandoning the strap of his messenger bag.

"Yeah, how did you know that?" Blaine asks, shaking the hand hesitantly.

"My husband talks a lot about you," He chuckles. Blaine gives him a strange look. "Sorry, I'm Marcus, and Damien is my husband," He clears up, making Blaine's eyes go wide.

"You're Damien's husband? You guys work in the same building?"

"Only on Thursdays. I'm a therapist, but usually I work at my office," He replies. The former Warbler nods numbly. "Why don't you have a seat, and we can get started,"

"I was just about to head back to my room, I don't think-"

"Blaine, just one time, then you don't have to come back. I just want you to exprience this, I think it will help. You just have to let it help you," Marcus says, pushing him gently to the half circle of folding chairs. Not wanting to say no, he nods, taking a seat at the edge of the circle, beside Sadie, considering she was the only one he knew. 

Marcus sets his bag down on the table up front, and removes his brown, leather jacket, dragging one of the extra, metal chairs to the front of the half circle, crossing one jean clad leg over the other.

"Alright, so how was everyone's week?" He asks loudly, grabbing the attention of everyone. The few members making a few different noises, some saying good, others saying bad, and the others just shrugging, making an unintelligable noise. Blaine looks around to them, blinking back down to lap, crossing his arms over himself as a barrier. 

"Well, let's talk about, but first let's introduce ourselves. Leo, why don't you start?" Marcus offers, nodding towards the dark skinned boy who now had his fedora on his head, and Blaine could see his facial features a little bit better. The boy nods, getting to his feet, and that's when Blaine could see how tall the boy really was. He probably had a couple inches on Finn. 

"I'm Leo, seventeen years old, and I was diagnosed with stage two Osteosarcoma six months ago, and I've been at the hospital for two months now," He replies, waving to the group really quickly, before sitting back in his chair. 

"Osteosarcoma? What is that?" Blaine asks, looking across the circle to Leo.

"Blaine, we usually save questions for after introductions, and for group discussion," Marcus replies, a small smile on his face.

"Oh, sorry," He instantly feels two sizes smaller than he was before. He curls in on himself, swallowing thickly, when the boy beside him, with the Gameboy, stood up.

"I'm Miles, and I have stage two brain cancer, and I'm seventeen years old, and I've been here for around five months now," The boy smiles, with a proud smirk on his face. 

Everyone nods, waving back to him, beside Blaine who was still getting used to the format. It was weird hearing everyone talk about it so easily, as if they did this everyday. He sits back down and the small girl beside him spoke up, getting to her feet, but still looking small in her overgrown sweater. 

"My name is Josie, I'm fifteen and I have stage three Lymphoma, I've been here for four months," Her voice is light and Blaine's can't help but think the name Josie fits her well. 

"You can call me Lincoln, I'm sixteen years old as well, and I have Rhabdomyosarcomas. and I like to say it, because it makes me look smart. You know, big words and all, and my six month anniversary is coming up fast," The last boy says, a large grin on his face. 'How could he be so happy while this is going on?' Blaine thinks to himself, his brow furrowed with confusion, and almost envy.

Lastly, Sadie gets to her feet, and removes the light brown bob, that he hadn't even known was wig. It looked very real. 

"I'm Sadie, I'm sixteen also, and I have stage three leukemia. I've been in the hospital, for...a while now," She sits back down in her seat, but Blaine was still looking to her, shocked. Without her hair, she really did look sick. Hearing these people talk about this like it was nothing, and they did it all the time, made him feel a bit uncomfortable. He didn't want be like that, at all. He wanted to get healthy quick and forget any of this happened at all. As he heard Cooper say quite a few times, when he thought he was sleeping, 'he was still in denial'.

"Blaine?" Marcus's voice interuppted his thoughts. The singer snaps his head towards the man, confused to why everyone was staring at him. "It's your turn," He gives him a small, encouraging smile. 

"Oh, right," Blaine nods, slowly getting to his feet. "My name is Blaine, I'm seventeen years old, and I have stage three A gastric cancer," He goes to sit back down, putting an emphasis on the 'A' part, but Marcus stops him.

"How long have you been in the hospital?"

"Uh, seven days," He finishes, sitting back down in his chair, and wrapping his arms around himself once more. Marcus nods, his smile, wide and proud now. 

"Okay, so Blaine is new to all this, so let's be patient,"

"Was that a pun?" Lincoln asks shaking his head.

"Maybe," Marcus shrugs casually, making Lincoln playfully roll his eyes and everyone else laugh a little at his joke. "Anyway, how about we start with one positive thing from this week?" The room goes silent for a few seconds before Miles stood up.

"Well, my doctors said that I can finally get out of here for a day. My brother wants to take me to go see a movie, and I'm really excited to go," Miles announces, a smile on his face. 

"When was the last time you went out?" Panic was sorta setting into Blaine's skin. If Miles was here for five months, and was just now getting to go out, after Friday, who knows when the next he'd be able to leave again.

"Blaine, questions for group discussion," Marcus warns again. Blaine nods once more, whispering out an apology, and wrapping his arms around his stomach, sinking down into his chair even more. Marcus nods returning to Miles.

"What are you guys gonna go see?"

"Well, I really wanna see the new Avengers movie, so I think I'm going to convince him into going to that," He chuckles, settling back in his chair. Blaine sucks in a deep breath.  
This is what they talked about? Movies? He could do this in his own room.

"Yesterday, I went to my therapist, and she said, that my mental health has gotten better, and she thinks that we'll be able to lay back on the visits soon," Josie says, a small smile growing on her face when she got a large round of applause and even a whistle from Sadie. Blaine looks around the room, still quite confused. This is not what he expected. 

"For the first time on Monday, my dad finally visited me, and it felt awesome, because I know this cancer thing is hard for him to deal with, so he avoided me for a while," Lincoln says, a smirk playing on his lips. Blaine sighs with envy. He wished his dad would visit him, and he would leave Blaine feeling better instead of worse. He looks down at his lap, rubbing at the skin on his knuckles. 

"That's amazing, Miles!" Marcus cheers, a sense of pride showing over his features, but really, therapists never care. They can fake enthusiasum easily, they get paid, and that's all that matters.

"I saw my first gay kiss this past week," Sadie says, not looking to Blaine, but Blaine knew it was pointed towards him. The room bursts into laughter, besides Blaine, who was still just abosorbing everything and trying to take it in. 

"Leo? You have anything for us?" Marcus asks, gesturing towards the tall boy.

"Well, after much convincing, my parents convinced me to send in my application letter to NYADA," 

"NYADA?" Blaine scrunches his eyebrows. How was he suppose to go to NYADA next year? He has cancer and he only has less than a year before next school year. "How?" 

"Blaine," Marcus, warns once more.

"Sorry," Blaine apologizes once more, swallowing the lump in his throat, everyone's eyes on him. 

"Blaine, what's your positive thing this week?"

"I don't have one," Blaine replies, shifting uncomfortably, still under everyone's gaze.

"There has to be one thing," Josie says softly, looking to him with a look of sympathy, just as everyone else was.

"No, there's not,"

"You didn't finish some school work, or go out, or maybe got see your parents or anything?"

"No, I saw my parents,"

"That's positive," Sadie shrugs.

"Not when your dad is an alcoholic, and your mom is impossible to talk to. My week would have gone better if I didn't see them," Blaine mumbles, but everyone heard it.

"What about seeing friends?"

"No, my friends told the school newspaper I had cancer behind my back and told the entire school, which was the last thing I wanted,"

Everyone goes silent. 

"What about Kurt?" Marcus asks, bending his head forward so he could try and get a look at Blaine's ducked head. Blaine looks up.

"Of course I saw Kurt, he's always here for me. I see him at least once a day,"

"That's a small victory," Marcus assures him. "He means a lot to you, and it may seem obvious that he'll always be there, but for some people, when something like this happens, people like him leave," 

Blaine swallows thickly. If he wasn't uncomfortable before, he was now. The thought of Kurt leaving was horrifying to him, and at this point, all he wanted to do was wrap him in a hug, and never let him go. 

"It gets to be a lot for most people. Some people leave, but Kurt hasn't, has he?"

"Not yet," Blaine whispers under his breath, biting his bottom lip, unable to get the thought out of his head.

"Alright, now the positive has been said, let's get to group discussion. Words of encouragement, questions," He aims that word towards Blaine before continuing, "thoughts, negative things, things we can work out, anything you wanna talk about, cancer related or not,"

"To answer your question, Blaine, yes, I'm going to NYADA. I'm a dancer, I know that sounds crazy because of my diagnosis, but my doctors think I can make a fully recovery. If I can't do it this year, I can always go next year," Leo says, looking to Blaine carefully, "and by the way, Osteosarcoma is a type of bone cancer. It's currently in my right knee and my hip. It gives me a sixty percent chance in my knee and fifteen percent of full recovery in my hip, but I'm going to work at it," He continues. Blaine nods slowly, swallowing the large lump in his throat.

"Also, It's been around four months since I've been out of the hospital," Miles says. "They gave me one last thing the week I started treatment here, then I was stuck here for months," 

"What?" Blaine's eyes go wide. That's what Friday was then. He was going to get one last shabang, then he was going to be stuck here, and he was going to go stir crazy, maybe even kill himself, or try and escape, great. Blaine closes his eyes, running a hand over his face. 

"Are you alright, Blaine?" Sadie asks, her brows bent with confusion. Blaine nods again.

"Yeah, fine," He snaps, leaning back in his chair, and curling in on himself.

"So, who's Kurt?" Josie asks, looking to Blaine, expecting an answer.

"He's my-" He stops himself. He had no idea how these people would react to him being gay. They might not even know about Marcus, he shouldn't say it, and these weren't just strangers he'd never have to see again. If they were homophobes, he'd have to deal with them and cancer, his entire time here. It might even keep him from not only leaving the hospital, but his room too. "Friend, a really good friend," He finishes, looking down at his lap.

"Who means a lot to you? And is special?" Leo asks.

"Yeah, he is, let's move on," Blaine replies, shifting uncomfortably under everyone's eyes. Sadie looks at him carefully, before nodding.

"Is he the friend that hurt you? And sold you out?" Miles asks.

"What? No, Kurt would never do that," Blaine replies, his lips set into a firm line. 

"Are you sure? Sometimes the most important people hurt you the most," Miles warns.

"Miles," Marcus warns, giving him a look to say 'stop talking'. Blaine's eyes go wide. Oh god, what if it was Kurt, and he felt guilty. Maybe that's why he said sorry so many times when he came in with Finn.

"Oh god," Blaine whispers, running a hand over his head, removing his beanie, his breathing getting heavy. 

"Blaine, are you alright?" Marcus asks. Blaine shakes his head, getting to his feet and rushing out the door, Marcus calling after him. "Blaine! Blaine, come back!" He yells, starting to follow the boy out the door, but he was long gone. 

The singer was running back to his room, to get to his phone, and talk to Kurt about this. The idea was stuck in his head, and he needed to know. Nothing matters until he knows for sure. Just like Marcus said, some people couldn't handle all this, what if he let it slip, or was angry at the idea. He wasn't paying attention to where he was going, and of course, for the second time that day, he ran straight into someone. He tries to get from their grasp, but whoever it was, won't let him go. He looks up and sees it was Damien.

"Blaine? What happened? What's wrong?" He asks, holding him tight to his chest. Blaine lets out a sob, falling into his arms limply. 

"It could have been Kurt," He chokes out.

"What could have been Kurt? Talk to me," He coos, holding him, just enough so he could stand bringing him close to his chest. 

"They said he told everyone. They said he just couldn't handle it. Oh god, I think he's leaving me," Blaine sobs, gripping onto Damien's scrubs like his life depended on him.

"What? Come on, let's get you back to your room," He offers, helping Blaine to his feet and leading him back to his own room. Blaine nods numbly, letting Damien lead him slowly, repeating that everything would be okay. 

When they arrive back to the room, it's empty, and everything is just how he left it, a little messy. Damien sits him down on the edge of his bed, and goes to grab a chair, but Blaine was already falling against him, so he just sits with him at the edge of the bed.

"Blaine, talk to me. Did you want me to call someone?" Blaine shakes his head, taking a few deep breaths.

"I was at group therapy, or whatever it is, and they said that Kurt was probably the one who told the whole school-"

"No, Kurt's not that type of person," Damien shakes his head instantly not buying it.

"I didn't think so, but then Marcus said that some people can't handle cancer and they do stupid things or leave,"

"I imagine he did say that, but he didn't mean tell everyone about your condition. He meant, break ups, distant relationships," Damien recovers for his husband, rubbing Blaine's shoulder comfortingly. 

"When Kurt told me about it, he kept saying he was sorry, and it makes since now. Maybe it was him. It could have slipped or something," Blaine sniffles, shaking his head at the thought.

"Why don't you ask him? Kurt would tell you if he did or not," Damien comforts. Blaine nods, taking the tissue box Damien was offering, and dabbing at his eyes and now, red nose. "How about you call him, and ask him here?"

"He's supposed to come in a couple hours, anyway," The former Warbler says, looking down at his lap, now more composed than before, thinking more rationally.

"Okay," Damien looks past his patient and at the doorway, nodding to someone. Blaine scrunches his face up, turning around to see Sam standing in the doorway, with a few movies under his arm, and a bright smile on his face. 

"Sam?"

"Hey, are you busy right now?" He asks, coming through the doorway, and setting the movie stack on the side table. 

"No, come in," Blaine smiles back, wiping at his eyes viciously trying to get rid of the redness on his skin. 

"I'll leave you two to your movies," Damien says patting Blaine on the back before standing up. 

"Damien?" Blaine looks up at his nurse, a small, shy smile on his face.

"Yeah?" He stops in his tracks, turning to look at the boy.

"Thank you," He gets to his feet, wrapping Damien in a hug. Damien chuckles, patting his back.

"Of course," He laughs, squeezing him tight before letting him go, and waving a goodbye to Sam and leaving the two alone, shutting the door behind him. 

"What was that about?" Sam asks, taking a seat in one of the waiting chairs, in front of his best friend.

"Do you think Kurt told Jacob about my cancer?" Blaine blurts, looking down at his hands.

"What? No, no way," Sam scoffs, shaking his head as if it was the most propesterus thing he's ever heard. 

"Why are you so sure?"

"Why aren't you?" Same retorts, leaning forwards in his chair. Blaine goes stiff, shifting uncomfortably. "Look, when Kurt found out about this, he was insanely angry. I've never seen him so mad in my entire life. He was threatening that Jacob kid's life, had to be held off by Finn, then broke down in the middle of the hall, bawling his eyes out, because he was so angry for you, knowing you would be upset. It wasn't him," Sam explains, sighing heavily. Blaine nods again, playing with the tissue in hand. Sam gives him a small smile, patting his knee. "Why would you think it was him?"

"Just something someone said at the support group," Blaine replies, sniffling a little and disposing of his tissue in the trash bin right beside his bed.

"Support group? You're not crazy, are you?" Sam teases, nudging his knee. Blaine playfully rolls his eyes. 

"Yeah, yeah," He shakes his head. "So, why are you here, might I ask? I'm gonna see you tomorrow anyway," Blaine says with a small smile on his face.

"I wanted to come see you, I miss Blam,"

"Blam?" 

"Yeah, that's our friendship name. Everyone calls us that," He shrugs casually, leaning back in his chair, and setting his legs up on Blaine's mattress. Blaine playfully rolls his eyes again. 

"By everyone, do you mean you?" Blaine teases.

"Maybe," He shrugs. "But we are iconic, and you having cancer shouldn't change that. Look, I know I acted weird at first, and it was because I thought I was losing my best friend, but I'm not. I just had to get used to the idea, so here I am, ready to watch some awesome superhero movies with you," Sam shrugs. Blaine laughs.

"Alright, what did you bring, because as much as I love musicals, it's about the only thing I've been watching lately," 

Sam smiles reaching over and grabbing his stack of movies he brought in. 

"Well, I have the Avengers, Iron Man, Captain America, the first season of Teen Titans, Man of Steel, and finally, but certainly not any less heroic, The Hulk,"

"The eighties movie Hulk, or the 2008 version?"

"The eighties movie, of course, it's cringey, and amazing, what else would I bring?" Sam jokes, jokingly rolling his eyes. Blaine smiles.

"Alright, then I vote Teen Titans," Blaine replies, laying back on his bed, and patting the seat beside him. Sam smiles, grabbing the rightful disc and getting Blaine's laptop from the move able table and setting it up, putting the disc inside, while Blaine got comfortable, kicking off his converse, and pulling the blanket up. Sam lays beside him, hitting the play button, and relaxing against the mattress. 

Blaine looks over to his friend, and holds up his fist. It takes a few seconds for Sam to see it, but he's quickly pounding his fist against Blaine's, making an explosion sound when they pull apart, waving his fingers. Blaine laughs, hanging his head down, before laying his head on Sam's shoulder, and crossing his arms over his chest. Sam smiles, putting a hand on his chest and the other behind his head, as the theme song started to play, and Blaine was singing along to it, in his best Japanese girl impression.

 

-0-

 

Usually, if you were to walk in on your boyfriend cuddling with another guy, it would set off alarm bells, but when Kurt walked into Blaine's room to see Blaine had fallen asleep with his head resting on Sam's shoulder, who was also sleeping, his heart warmed. They've been best friends ever since Blaine transfered, and since the diagnosis, they haven't spent a lot of time together, so it was nice to see them together again. 

He walks in the rest of the way, to shut the laptop, which was rolling the credits, and Kurt couldn't help but wonder how long they made it before falling asleep. The tall auburn smiles, bringing the fallen sheet up and over his boyfriend's shoulders, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead, not wanting to jostle him and wake him up. Blaine smacks his lips together, but doesn't open his eyes, much to Kurt's relief. He should come back later. 

When he turns around to leave again, maybe go get a coffee and come back, Blaine's hand reaches out, grabbing Kurt's wrist. The taller boy looks back towards him, a small smile on his face

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Kurt whispers, trying not to wake Sam up too. Blaine shakes his head.

"No, you're fine," He says groggily, rolling over on his side, and pulling Kurt back towards him. The boy giggles a little, kneeling down beside his boyfriend. "I love you," Blaine blurts, his brow scrunching a little, sleep still very clear in his eyes.

"I love you too," Kurt chuckles. "Are you alright?" He asks, his small smile fading, when he notices Blaine wasn't going to smile. Blaine shakes his head, slowly sitting up, so he doesn't wake his friend and swinging his legs off the side of the bed.

"Can we go talk somewhere?" He asks, squeezing Kurt's hand tightly. 

"Yeah, of course," Kurt nods numbly, getting back to his feet, waiting as Blaine slipped on his converse once more, and hops off the bed, a little too quickly, and ended up having to hold his forehead, swaying on his feet.

"Blaine-"

"I just got up too fast, I'm fine, really," Blaine gives him a small, comforting smile and pulls him out of the room, and back down towards the visitors room, seeing as it was the only place he was comfortable with so far. 

For it being the late afternoon, almost evening, it was fairly empty besides a young girl with her parents sitting at the couches, watching some sort of children's show, that Blaine didn't recognize. The shorter boy leads Kurt over to one of the large circle tables and sits down beside it, encouraging his boyfriend to do the same. 

"Blaine, what's going on?" Kurt asks wearily, his brow slightly scrunched with the fear, that he recieved bad news while he was at the garage. 

"I went to support group today," Blaine starts out, covering one of Kurt's hands with the both of his. 

"Okay," He nods his head, not knowing what to expect.

"It was different. I don't know if I wanna go back, but anyway, we were talking, and I mentioned something about what happened with the whole school newspaper thing," Kurt visibly tenses at the mention of yesterday's event that made him burst out in tears in the middle of the hallway, like as he had said "A giant cry baby". Blaine notes his reaction, and his heart rate sped up a bit. "You were brought up, and Marcus said that I'm lucky to have you here, because most people leave," 

Kurt goes to open his mouth, but Blaine kept going, wanting to get out what he needed to say, or confess to. His hazel eyes were starting to get damp, but he ignores it and kept going. 

"And I am, I'm so lucky to have you here. It took a slap to the face, literally, for me to realize how much you mean to me, and how much you've done for me," Again, Kurt flinches at the mention of their fight, but Blaine reassures him, that they were past it, with a kiss to his knuckles. "Anyway, then someone asked who you were, and I said you were my friend," Blaine blushes at that. He didn't know why he said it, he's always been proud of who he was, and that he was 'out and proud and all that', but he didn't wanna deal with cancer and some homophobes while he was here. He'll tell them eventually, but not right now. 

"Then they asked if you were the same friend that hurt me, and I turned them down instantly, because I thought I knew you would never do that to me," 

Kurt's face goes blank, at the past term use of 'thought'. Blaine ignores it once more, and continues.

"He then said, that the people who are most important to us, hurt us the most," Blaine swallows, not looking up to see Kurt's expression, which was wide eyed, and shocked, his hands even went limp against Blaine's. 

"I thought about it while I was there, and I believed him. I thought it was you who told Jacob about me," Kurt retracts his hands instantly, setting them in his lap. Blaine chases after them, but can't catch them fast enough. "I ran out, and Damien caught me. I was gonna go call you, but I was just crying so hard at the thought of it, and he comforted me and told me, that there was no way you would do it, but to me it made sense, because you kept apologizing, and it would make sense if you were guilty, I-" He stops himself, finally looking up to see Kurt's hurt expression. He was sitting back against his chair, tears in his eyes, and a couple falling down his cheeks. His eyebrows were turned up with hurt, and he looked like a kicked puppy. "Then Sam came and told me what you did after you found out, and I felt horrible for it. Kurt, I'm so sorry. I know it wasn't you. It was the first thing my brain could think of, and I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it," Blaine rambles on, reaching for Kurt's hand that was sat in his lap, but Kurt wouldn't let him. 

"Did you seriously think I would do that to you? After everything?" Kurt whimpers. Blaine hangs his head down, thinking of his next words, but Kurt takes it the wrong way. "Oh my God, you do," He shakes his head, covering his mouth with one hand, and scooting his chair back a few paces.

"You know I love you, and I love everything you've done for me, because I know how much you've given up. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Blaine tries, grabbing one of Kurt's hands, this time not letting it go, no matter how hard Kurt tries to pull away from him.

"Kurt, please, look at me," He tries again, lifting Kurt's chin up with his forefinger and thumb. "I'm so sorry. I love you so much, and it was so stupid of me, and I'm sorry, God," He whispers, a couple tears falling from his eyes. He uses the pad of his thumb to cup Kurt's cheek, and wipe at his tears carefully. Kurt nods, trying to tell himself, he was okay. 

"Come here," Blaine pulls him closer by his shoulder, pulling him in a for hug, both now standing up beside the table. Kurt clings to him. 

"You know I would never do that to you, no way I would. I love you too much," Kurt says, hiding his face in Blaine's shoulder. He didn't know why that had hurt him so bad, but it felt like a stab to the heart, to hear Blaine say that, like maybe he wasn't doing enough.

"I know, I know. I'm so sorry," Blaine whispers, rubbing small circles into Kurt's back, trying to comfort him. Kurt takes a few steadying breath, pulling back to rest his forehead against Blaine's.

"I'm sorry, that I ever made you feel like that. If it makes you feel better, Sam is cracking down to figure out which one of the New Directions members did it," Kurt sniffles. Blaine chuckles. "He's interegating them like it's his job or something," He chuckles.

"It sounds like him, but maybe it wasn't someone in the New Directions, I mean we had the conversation in the middle of the hallway, maybe someone heard," Blaine reminds him of the dreadful day, brushing a couple stray hairs that had fallen out from his boyfriend's coif and onto his forehead. Kurt sighs heavily, looking down at their feet.

"I don't think it was, because even Dave Karosky, or Azimio didn't know, and they were right there when you said it," Kurt shrugs. "The only other people that know are the New Directions," Kurt says, looking back up to wrap his arms around Blaine's neck and rub the back of his bare head carefully. Blaine nods slowly. Kurt drags his chin up carefully with his thumb and pecks his lips gently, which his boyfriend accepts, his shoulders relaxing. It was just a peck, because they learned their lesson last time.

"You're so perfect, Kurt," Blaine sighs heavily, meeting Kurt's eyes with a bright smile.

"Shut up," Kurt playfully rolls his eyes, his cheeks instantly turning a light shade of pink. He even smacked Blaine's chest jokingly.

"I mean it. You really are. Like Marcus said, most people leave, because it's just too much for them, but here you are, still kissing me, like it's our first time, and being there for me, no matter how much it hurts you," Blaine says. "And sometimes I don't know why," He scoffs at the last part, a small, smirk on his lips.

"Stop that. I'd do anything for you, anything. You know that, and nothing will change that, okay?" Kurt assures him, his brow furrowed with determination. At Blaine's nod, he continues. "I wouldn't wanna be anywhere else, but right here with you," Blaine sighs contently, leaning in for another small peck on the lips. 

"I love you," 

"I love you too," Kurt smirks, his eyes still closed and his forehead resting against Blaine's. Blaine's smile grows, rubbing tiny circles into the small of Kurt's back.

"Just friends?" A familiar voice questions from beside them. They both turn their heads to see Sadie leaning against the back of one of the couches, her wig gone, and her arms crossed over her chest, careful of her oxygen tube. Blaine ducks his head, pulling apart from Kurt just a little. Kurt clears his throat awkwardly. "Why'd you lie?" She asks, tilting her head to the side.

"I'm already dealing with cancer, and my homophobic father, I don't need to deal with an entire group of them while I'm here," Blaine defends, as Kurt reaches for Blaine's hand, squeezing it tightly, but still shifting uncomfortably under Sadie's gaze.

Blaine wanted to bring up Marcus, but he didn't want to say something he wasn't suppose to, so he didn't. Guessing by her expecting look, she must not have known about him.  
"Alright, what ever you wanna go with, Man," She chuckles, turning back for the door. 

"You don't know what it's like," Blaine calls after her. She stops in her tracks, giving him a confused look, hanging onto her oxygen cart tightly. "Dealing with homophobes. It's horrible, living in fear, it's not worth it," He adds, squeezing Kurt's hand tightly.

"You don't seem to have a problem with PDA right now,"

"Yeah, because you know, and there's no one else here," Blaine replies, looking around the room. The small family from earlier had left, so it was just the three. She looks around too, rolling her eyes. 

"Dealing with a few harsh words? You're dealing with cancer,"

"No, it's not just the harsh words. It's the disgusted looks, shoves, hell I couldn't even go to a Sadie Hawkins dance with out being gay bashed, because I took a guy. Kurt got elected prom queen last year, he had to transfer schools because of one of the homophobes, a closeted one. It's not just words, but they probably hurt the worst. They call you everything in the book, and sometimes they hit home," Blaine adds, feeling Kurt's gaze and tight hand squeeze, to let him know he was there. She looks shocked. 

"You don't know," Blaine shrugs. "I'm not taking the risk,"

"Everyone in support group is accepting. It's part of the group," She's trying to defend herself, and stay strong to prove a point, but she looks uncomfortable, her movements jagged and awkward.

"So was everyone at my old school before I came out, then I got beaten so badly I was in the hospital for two weeks," Blaine snorts, shaking his head. "Let me deal with this," He adds. She looks at him for a few more seconds before nodding and turning around, leaving the room. Kurt pecks his cheek gently, rubbing his thumb across his knuckles in support.

"We should go back to the room. Sam's probably wondering where you are," Kurt clears his throat, and Blaine nods, agreeing. They weren't gone long, so hopefully he was still asleep, and wasn't going around the hospital, asking nurses where he could possibly be.

"Yeah, you're right," He sighs heavily, taking a second just to admire his boyfriend before following him out the door, down the halls, and back to his own room.


	10. Chapter Ten: Football Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another one! Tell me what you guys think of how I'm moving the story along, please. I love feedback, and it really helps me out. Thank you for supporting me through all this story, and enjoy this. Also, I'm starting school again soon, so updates may be a little unorganized, not that they weren't before, so please be patient with me, and stick with me. I WILL finish this story. Enjoy this and let me know what you think!

He was trying to enjoy his meal. Blaine really was, but it's been awhile since he's been back in Lima, and there was something about looking like he did, and anyone being able to see him like this, was horrifying. He couldn't relax.

  
Even with a brand new charchcol grey beanie, his expensive, army green jacket, and favorite white sweater, black skinny jeans, (that were now a size too big), and his black boat shoes, he still didn't look normal. He still no longer held his normal, olive skin tone, it was pale now, but not porcelin like Kurt's, no, it just made him look like he was sick with the flu. Due to lack of sleep the previous few nights, he had dark circles under his eyes, aging him a few years. His trademark, triangular eyebrows were even thinned out quite a bit, and the thing he hated most, his feeding tube, it just topped everything off and made him look even sicker.

  
Blaine was picking at his small salad, jumping at every loud noise, such as the entrance bell going off, the waitresses clinking glasses together when picking them up to clear tables, and every time the table down the aisle started laughing loudly. He was practically shaking, just because he hated being so out in the open for anyone to really realize how horrible he looked and how horrible he felt. It was making his stomach do somersaults, making it even harder than normal to choke down his meal.

  
He knows it shouldn't be a big deal, but it is. It made him sick to his stomach at the thought of one of the jocks from school to see him like this, and make fun of him, or even worse, pretend to be sympathetic. He didn't want their pity, and thinking about everyone treating him differently, like the sick kid, made him want to throw up, or run back to the hospital, or maybe just crawl under a rock.

  
"Baby, can you at least try and enjoy this?" Kurt sighs heavily, snapping him out of his thoughts.

  
"What? I'm sorry, Kurt. I really am," Blaine shifts uncomfortably, mostly to try and find a warm position. The cool, late November weather, was sending shivers down his spine and goosebumps across his skin. Kurt lets out a deep breath, setting his fork down against his plate, and wiping his mouth with his napkin.

  
"Alright," Kurt quickly takes a drink to make sure his bite went down before reaching both his hands across the table, and gripping the one Blaine was using to pointlessly stab at his meal. He opened his mouth to say something, but Blaine beat him to it.

  
"How are you not embarrassed to be seen with me here?"

  
Kurt's eyes go wide. Blaine automatically regrets saying anything. He clears his throat, attempting to pull his hand back, but Kurt wouldn't let him.

  
"Is that really how you feel?" The countertenor asks, hurt obvious in his eyes. Blaine looks down at the table, not knowing if he'll be able to speak if he continues to look at his boyfriend. He hesitates for a second before slowly nodding. "Oh, Blaine," Kurt sighs heavily, his shoulders falling flat, and his chin meeting his chest, letting him take a breath.

  
"God, I mean look at me. I look like death," Blaine remarks, shaking his head.

  
"Honey, no," Kurt picks his head up, covering Blaine's hand with both of his own. "I could never be embarrassed of you. It's just not possible," He says with a slight smile. Blaine bites his bottom lip, still not looking at his boyfriend. "Honey, look at me," He begs, tugging on his hand. Blaine slowly lifts his head, shifting slightly under Kurt's gaze.

  
"You look amazing. You always will. That's one of the many, many reasons I fell for you. I don't care how sick you look, I will never be embarrassed to be with you. I promise.

You will always be beautiful to me," He gives his boyfriend a small smile, which Blaine, reluctantly returns. "Is that what's bothering you?"

"That, and I just feel so exposed," He admits, his voice soft.

  
"What do you mean? You're wearing a sweater and a jacket, not to mention a hat and jeans," Kurt tries to joke, but Blaine barely cracked a smile. His grin fades.

  
"Do you wanna get out of here?"

  
"We still have like three hours until the game. What are we suppose to do until then?" Blaine asks, cocking his head to the side.

  
"Not for you to worry about. I have it covered. Now, I'll ask again, do you want to leave?"

 

The shorter boy nods slowly.

  
"Okay, then let's go," Kurt pulls out his wallet, leaving a few bills before standing up and holding his hand out for him. Blaine takes it, squeezing gently as they make their way from Breadstixs and back out to Kurt's Navigator. Blaine huddles closer to his boyfriend, practically freezing his ass off at this point. Kurt chuckles, rubbing his hand up and down his arm.

  
"Are you going to turn into an icicle?" He teases pecking the top of his head carefully.

  
"Oh, shut up," Blaine chuckles, shaking his head as Kurt pulls out his keys and clicks the unlock button. Blaine hurries into the passenger seat, running the rest of the way there. Kurt laughs as he gets in, starting up the car so he can turn the heat on. "I hate chemo," Blaine groans, rolling his eyes. Kurt smiles.

  
"It'd help if you had meat on your bones,"

  
"Coming from, Mr. Toothpick," Blaine laughs, as Kurt fiddles with the controls, so Blaine can get warm. The taller boy leans over, pecking his lips, his nose rubbing against Blaine's very cold one. "Your nose is nice and warm," Kurt laughs, pulling back, so he can pull out, and heads towards the school.

  
"We're already going to the school? Isn't it early?" Blaine asks, lacing his fingers through Kurt's over the center console.

  
"Stop worrying so much. I have it handled," Kurt playfully rolls his eyes, squeezing Blaine's fingers.

 

 

-0-

 

 

"Kurt, are you sure we're suppose to be in here?" Blaine sighs heavily, being dragged by his boyfriend by his hand. He was pulling him through the empty, dim lit halls, and to the auditorium.

  
"You're such a wimp. Live a little!" Kurt teases, hurrying down the auditorium steps , practically skipping, and releasing his hand once they finally get to the bottom of the stage.  
"Is that Brad?" Blaine asks, trying to see onto the stage with the little light.

  
"Lights!" Kurt calls. On cue, the stage lights turned on, and Kurt climbed up the stage steps. Blaine smiles, leaning against the end of the stage. The stage was almost blank beside the piano, with Brad ready to play, a microphone with it's stand and a few pretty lights in the background. Kurt gives his pianist a nod and Brad clears his throat, starting on the few notes. Blaine melts at the tune, leaning his elbows on the edge of the stage, and falling in love with his boyfriend once more.

  
_"I'll keep you safe_   
_Try hard to_ _concentrate_   
_Hold out your hand_   
_Can you feel the weight of it_   
_The whole world at your fingertips_   
_Don't be, don't be afraid_   
_Our mistakes, they were bound to be made,_   
_But I promise you I'll keep you safe,"_

This is not a song that Kurt would usually sing, but Kurt deemed it appropriate, and he needed Blaine to get the message. Let him know he was there, and would protect him from everything he possibly could. Kurt holds out his hand, and steps forward so Blaine can take his hand up the stage. Blaine happily takes it, the same dopey grin on his face as he lets Kurt continue.

  
_"And darkness will be rewritten,_   
_into a work of fiction, you'll see,_   
_You'll find every secret it keeps,_   
_The sound of the branches breaking under your feet,_   
_The smell of the falling and burning leaves,_   
_The bitterness of winter of the sweetness of spring,"_

  
Kurt leaves the microphone on it's stand and pulls his boyfriend in, so one arm is resting on his waist and the other is still gripping his hand. Blaine fits his hand around Kurt's shoulder, and leans his forehead against the slightly taller boy's. They start to slowly dance around in circles, their feet moving with each other's, and Kurt's voice soft and still singing into his ear, sending shivers down his spine.

  
_"You are an artist,_   
_And your heart is your masterpiece,_   
_And I'll keep it safe,_   
_Dismiss the invisible,_   
_By giving it shape,_   
_Like a clock-master fixes time,_   
_By keeping the gears in line,_   
_Don't be, don't be afraid,"_

  
Blaine hadn't even realized he was crying until Kurt brought his hand up to wipe a couple tears away, still singing the lyrics to him. Blaine sniffles, a small smile on his face, and his eyes glistening, staring into Kurt's. They were both still moving to the sound of the piano and to Kurt's voice.

  
_"The sound of the branches breaking under your feet,_   
_The smell of falling and burning leaves,_   
_The bitterness of winter or the sweetness of spring,"_

  
_"I love you," Blaine whispers, laying his head on Kurt's shoulder, letting his boyfriend finish the song. Kurt just smiles._

  
_"You are an artist,_   
_And your heart is your masterpiece,_   
_And I'll keep it safe,"_

  
Kurt presses a soft kiss to the back of Blaine's neck and squeezes him tightly to his chest. Blaine was crying silently at this point.

  
"I love you too," Kurt smiles, his shoulder relaxing once the song was over. "You mean so much to me, B," Blaine just lets out a quiet sob into Kurt's coat, gripping onto it tightly in his fist. "You're my world," He finishes, rubbing soothing circles into his back.

  
When planning this out, he did not plan on breaking down like this, or Blaine breaking down but here they were. Kurt looks over Blaine shoulder to the New Directions and Warblers standing off to the side, still backstage. Kurt gives them a small smile, and holds up one finger. A few nod, and even more give them a small smile, even Sebastian had a small smile on his face. Kurt heard a few footsteps and figured it was Brad leaving the stage to give them a moment.

  
"You're so amazing," Blaine manages, pulling back so he can press his forehead against Kurt's. Kurt gives him a small smile, wiping at his cheeks, mindful of his feeding tube still.

  
"And you're so strong,"

  
The shorter boy nods, closing his eyes so he can lean forwards and capture his boyfriend's lips in a passionate kiss, Kurt still cupping Blaine's cheeks. Blaine sucks in a noisy breath through the kiss, running his tongue along Kurt's teeth, before he was granted access. The kiss wasn't sleazy or trashy, it was beautiful, and romantic, even if it wasn't just a closed mouth one. Kurt knew they had an audience, but it didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was his boyfriend, and how much they both needed this. Blaine's panting by the time they break up, and has even more tears rushing down his cheeks.

  
"I don't know where I'd be without you," Blaine admits, choking out a small laugh. Kurt smiles gently.

  
"Probably in a ditch," He teases, making Blaine playfully roll his eyes before leaning in for another kiss, this time just a short, closed mouth one, but it was still just as amazing as every other one. "You good?"

  
"Yeah, I'm good," Blaine nods, closing his eyes and nuzzling his nose against the other boy's.

  
"Good, because there's something else I wanna show you," Kurt sighs, pulling apart just so he can take his hand and lead him to the piano. Kurt sits down and pulls Blaine down next to them, so they have almost a full view of the stage. Blaine scrunches his eyebrows, expecting Kurt to start playing piano or something, but was surprised was he saw three girls walk out one stage.

 

It started with just the the voice of Santana, but Brittany and Tina were behind her, all three wearing flowy, white dresses.

  
_"Hands put your empty hands in mine,_   
_And scars, show me all the scars you hide,_   
_And hey, if your wings are broken,_   
_Please take mine so yours can open too,"_

 

Rachel, Mercedes, and Quinn were coming out next, wearing similar dresses. Rachel joins in, in the next few lines, everyone else singing behind her.

  
_"Cause I'm gonna stand by you,_   
_Oh the tears make kaleidoscopes in your eyes,_   
_And hurt, I know you're hurting, but so am I,_   
_And love, if your wings are broken,_   
_Borrow mine so yours can open too,_   
_'Cause I'm gonna stand by you,"_

  
Finn, Puck, Mike, and Artie were rushing out, the beat picking up slightly. All three wearing white t-shirts and jeans. Blaine smiles, turning to Kurt, who had a knowing smirk on his face, squeezing his boyfriend's hand tightly within his own, his foot tapping to the beat.

  
_"Even if we're breaking down down, we can find a way to break through,_   
_Even if we can't find Heaven, we'll walk through hell with you,_   
_Love, you're not alone, cause we're gonna stand by you,_   
_Even if we can't find Heaven, we'll walk through hell with you,_   
_Love, you're not alone, cause we're gonna stand by you,"_

  
The other members are soon running onto the stage, including Mr. Schue, who was bouncing his knee, with his arms wrapped around Quinn and Brittany. Mike and Brittany were in front, doing some cool, fitting moves, making Blaine smile wider, but a couple tears still faling down his cheeks.

  
"Oh my God," Blaine chuckles, shaking his head in disbelief.

  
_"I'll be your eyes when yours can't shine,_   
_I'll be your arms, I'll be your steady satellite,_   
_And when you can't rise, well We'll cry with you on hands and knees,"_

  
Blaine leans his head on Kurt's shoulder, and squeezes him tightly, admiring their performance, and Finn and Sam taking over the lead.

  
_"Even if we're breaking down, we can find a way to break through,_   
_Even if we can't find Heaven, we'll walk through hell with you,_   
_Love, you're not alone, cause we're gonna stand by you,_   
_Even if we can't find Heaven, we'll walk through hell with you,_   
_Love, you're not alone, cause we're gonna stand by you,"_

  
The room was filled amazing energy. Blaine had just noticed that the band had been playing the entire time, jamming out a little with the beat. He has no idea when they came on. The definitely were there when Kurt was singing. The group starts to clap and stomp their feet for the next verse, waving their arms in the air, making Blaine chuckle, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

  
_"No, we're gonna stand by you,_   
_Even if we can't find heaven, heaven, heaven,_   
_We're gonna stand by you,"_

  
Sam and Puck finish the song, firm smirks on their face, and facing each other to match pitch. Blaine started to clap, but before he could react, New Directions were clearing the stage and the Warblers were filling it. Blaine laughs, slipping his fingers back into Kurt's, and watching them start, ready to watch their performance. With Nick leading to start.

  
_"So no one told you life was gonna be this way,"_

  
They all pause, almost everyone joining in on the claps, making Blaine throw his head back with laughter, and clap his hands with amusement.

_"Your job's a joke, you're broke, your love life's D.O.A._   
_It's like you're always stuck in second gear_   
_When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year, but"_

  
As the chorus came into play, the other Warblers were joining in, only a few left for backup noise.

  
_"I'll be there for you_   
_(When the rain starts to pour)_   
_I'll be there for you_   
_(Like I've been there before)_   
_I'll be there for you_   
_('Cause you're there for me too)"_

  
Blaine burst out laughing at their choice. They knew how much enjoyed the show 'Friends', so he found this hysterical. It was taking every single ounce of seriousness in Nick not to burst out laughing too. They picked the song knowing about Blaine's obsession, and knowing it would make him laugh. David pick up the next verse, with Jeff accompanying him.

  
_"You're still in bed at ten and work began at eight_   
_You've burned your breakfast, so far things are going great_   
_Your mother warned you there'd be days like these_   
_But she didn't tell you when the world has brought you down to your knees that"_

  
This time, Sebastian and Wes take up the chorus, and David and Trent doing back up.

  
_"I'll be there for you_   
_(When the rain starts to pour)_   
_I'll be there for you_   
_(Like I've been there before)_   
_I'll be there for you_   
_('Cause you're there for me too)"_

  
The New Directions were in the background, jumping around to the song, which of course sent Blaine into another fit of laughter. This was ridiculous. The Warbler's knew him all too well. They all did.

  
_"o one could ever know me_   
_No one could ever see me_   
_Seems you're the only one who knows what it's like to be me_   
_Someone to face the day with, make it through all the rest with_   
_Someone I'll always laugh with_   
_Even at my worst, I'm best with you, yeah!_   
_It's like you're always stuck in second gear_   
_When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year,"_

  
Trent, Thad and Jon takes up the last bit, the others doing back up for them, clapping and snapping in time.

  
_"I'll be there for you_   
_(When the rain starts to pour)_   
_I'll be there for you_   
_(Like I've been there before)_   
_I'll be there for you_   
_('Cause you're there for me too)"_

  
They finish the song, and Blaine is on his feet, clapping and whistling as best he could for them.

  
"You guys are great," He chuckles, as they tackle him in a hug.

  
"We knew that would cheer you up," Nick chuckles, grabbing Blaine's beanie and sticking it on his own head. Blaine playfully rolls his eyes, but doesn't make an effort to grab it again.

  
The New Directions soon join them, and they pass around the same hugs, which Blaine happily accepts. Sam lingers for a little bit, holding him tightly, and Blaine pats his back to make sure he knew he was really there, and doing okay.

  
When they pull apart, Blane whispers to him.

  
"You okay?"

  
Sam chuckles and nods. It was so like Blaine. At his own support performance, he asks someone else if they were okay, worried about him. Blaine smiles.

  
"You guys are amazing, and I love every single one of you, even you Puck," Blaine chuckles. Puck smiles, patting his back gently, careful not to jostle him too much, knowing he would probably fall is he did it as hard as he normally does.

  
"So, how have you been?" Thad asks, his hands shoved into his khaki pants. Blaine sighs heavily, raising his eyebrows, thinking about how he wanted to answer the question. Should he be honest, or lie just to amuse them.

  
"Adjusting," He decides that's a good word to use. "It's been weird living in a hospital, it's only been a week, but it's been weird. A lot to get used to,"

  
"I stayed in the hospital when I got my tonsils removed, and they gave me a lot of Superman ice cream," Brittany says from her spot beside Santana, where she was wrapped around her arm. Blaine smiles at her.

  
"Yeah, I'm not suppose to have a lot of sugar, and the sugar free ice cream just isn't the same," He chuckles, gesturing to his feeding tube.

  
"You'll get there," David promises, a small, proud smirk on is face. Blaine nods, agreeing. He knew it would take time, it's just it sucked, a lot.

  
"It's hard," He shrugs, "It's weird that I'm not in charge of what I eat. It's been days since I've actually tasted anything besides the chemo medicine. I get poked like eight time every time because finding a vein is getting harder, because I lost so much weight, and have such little muscle anymore. It's all just hard," He remarks, fending off tears again. Everyone goes quiet, not knowing what else to say.

"I've never known anyone with cancer," Brittany says her head leaning on Santana shoulder. Blaine chuckles, hanging his head down.

  
"Well, now you do, and it's not that great, but I'm getting there. I have to finish this week of chemotherapy, then on Wednesday, I think, they're taking me in to check on my tumor, make sure it hasn't spread, and make sure chemo is going well, and stuff," Blaine shifts, already feeling uncomfortable at the mention of that.

  
"You didn't tell me that," Kurt says with a scrunched eyebrow, slipping his hand inside his boyfriend's.

  
"I know, I forgot. I'm sorry," He says with, what Kurt could obviously tell was a fake smile, but he wasn't going to question it in front of all their friends, so he just nods slowly, pressing a kiss to his knuckles.

  
"How is everything else? I know that hospital food is terrible," Tina tries to lighten the mood.

  
"I haven't actually had the hospital food yet. I just haven't had an appetite. They've just been feeding me, through this thing," Blaine says, pointing to the tube taped to his skin. Tina's small smile fades. "But, it's fine, at least I don't have to eat it," He chuckles. Her smile returns, but it's not as wide as it once was.

  
"When my cousin had cancer, they made her go to support group thing. They said it really helped her. What about you?" Mercedes asks, clearing her throat to get rid of the awkwardness. Blaine sighs heavily, turning to look at Kurt briefly, who looked sympathetic for his boyfriend.

  
"It sucks. It's horrible, and I'm not going back," He snaps, quickly feeling guilty, but not enough to apologize. "Let's stop talking about cancer. How's everyone at school? Regionals?" It takes a few seconds for anyone to react. They look around to each other. That was a quick change.

  
Blaine's been the talk of the school this week. Ever since everyone found out, it's all the Glee club talked about, and they would hear people whisper about it. David and Azimio has backed off quite a bit, leaving just the hockey players, and they were still horrible. A few people have even told Kurt that everything would be okay.

  
"Great," Kurt smiles. "Azimio and Dave have backed off," He finishes, realizing no one else was going to say anything. Not knowing what to say. Blaine nods slowly.

 

  
"Why?"   
"We don't know. It's been three days since anyone has been slushied and no one has been shoved into a locker yet," Kurt replies, knowing the reason, but not wanting Blaine to feel worse about people knowing.

  
"Oh, well, I guess that's a good thing," Blaine nods.

  
"Regionals are next week actually, and things seem to be going fantastic as of right now. We've picked our songs and our soloist, and we're ready," Mr. Schuester says, an arm wrapped loosely around Puck's shoulders.

 

"Same here actually," Wes says awkwardly, not knowing how to handle everything that's been said so far. He never was very good in these type of situations.

  
"Who are the soloist?" Blaine asks.

  
"Well, we've decided on Sebastian of course, and Trent's amazing voice has been brought to our attention this past month, so he's also going to get a solo," David says, patting his said friend, making him blush terribly.

  
"I'm not that fabulous," Trent teases, a knowing smirk on his face. Blaine chuckles.

  
"He's being too humble!" David says, patting his chest playfully.

  
"What about you guys?" Blaine asks, a bright grin on his face.

  
"I don't think we should be sharing that information with our competition in the room," Rachel huffs, crossing her arms over her chest and holding her head higher than she normally did.

  
"Rachel, you make me want to rip one of those horses off one of your sweaters, and make him stomp on you," Santana says, rolling her eyes at the small, Jewish girl. Rachel pulls her head back with offense, but doesn't say anything.

  
"Soloist this year are, Rachel and Finn-"

  
"Of course," Santana groans, rolling her eyes. Will eyes her, but continues.

  
"Then we gave Sam a solo actually, and we're hoping he kills it," Mr. Schuester smiles, patting the said soloist on the back. Sam smiles, nodding.

  
"I'm nervous as hell, but excited," Sam adds.

  
"You'll do great," Blaine encourages, feeling a twinge of jealousy for his friends. He wants to get up on a stage and perform, just as bad as they do. Kurt notices, and squeezes his hand, making him turn his head, so Kurt can wink at him.

  
"Alright, Beiste will kill us if we don't leave now," Finn says, a bright grin still on his face.

  
"There's still an hour until the game," Tina says, not ready to let her boyfriend go just yet.

  
"Yeah, she's really wants to win this. It's our last game, and we haven't exactly had the best track record," Mike sighs heavily.

  
"Curfew is in a couple hours anyway," Wes announces, checking the watch on his wrist.

  
"You guys came all the way out here, for a few minutes?" Blaine asks, admiration in his eyes.

  
"Anything for you Blaine," Nick chuckles, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

  
"We just really wanted to show you, that we will always be here for you, man," Jon adds, patting his back carefully.

  
"Thank you guys. You have no idea how much it meant to me," Blaine replies, letting out a deep breath, hoping not to start crying again.

  
"Of course," David smiles, giving him a knowing smirk.

  
"Did you guys need us to show you back to the choir room?" Rachel asks, trying to remain happy, even with her competition in the same room, before competition.

  
"It's a small school. I don't think we'll get lost, but we'll walk back with you guys," David teases, nodding towards Finn. Finn nods, motioning for them to follow the other football players. Of course, the other girls follow them and it left Kurt and Blaine alone, beside Mr. Schue who was already heading up the auditorium steps.

  
"You're amazing. I can't believe you guys did this," Blaine says, his usual, dopey, in love grin planted firmly on his face.

  
"It was Finn's idea. He really wanted to show you how much we support you," Kurt replies, pecking his nose, making Blaine laugh. "I'm gonna go grab a few things from the choir room, and I'll be right back, okay? Then we can go to the game, get good seats,"

  
"Okay," Blaine nods, pecking Kurt's lips one more time before letting him go off, following the glee club back to the choir room. Blaine sits himself down on the piano bench, pulling out his phone as he did so.

  
3 MISSED CALLS FROM COOPER

  
 _(5:50 PM)_  
COOPER: Where are you?

  
 _(5:52 PM)_  
COOPER: Mom, just told me, how you doing?

  
 _(5:54 PM)_  
COOPER: Are you okay? You're not answering?

  
 _(5:56 PM)_  
COOPER: Blaine?

  
He can't help but roll his eyes at his brother. Cooper's been really protective over his brother, even more so since he's been put in the hospital. He comes in at least twice a day, and is always asking questions, making sure he's okay. At first Blaine found it endearing, but now it's just a little annoying, but he deals with it, because it makes his brother feel a little bit better. He thinks Cooper feels guilty for what happened at Thanksgiving, but he hasn't come out and said it, yet.

  
 _(5:58 PM)_  
BLAINE: I'm fine. I'll tell you about it later.

  
He leaves it like that and slips his phone back in his pocket, staring down at the keys in front of him. He hasn't touched a piano in so long. There was one in one of the entertainment rooms at the hospital, but he's only ever been in there once, and it looked as if it hasn't been touch in years. He was tempted to just play a few notes, but he decided against it, not wanting to put more attention on him.

  
The singer runs his fingers along the keys, making a loud, obnoxious noise, but it was music to his ears. A bright smile forms on his face. He cocks his head, before carefully placing his hands over the right keys, and playing the first note to 'Goner'. He slowly hits the next few, and soon it was the whole beginning entrance.

  
He takes a deep breath before he moves his lips, his voice low and soft.

  
_"I'm a goner, somebody catch my breath,_   
_I'm a goner, somebody catch my breath,_   
_I want to be known by you,_   
_I want to be known by you."_

  
He starts to pick up his voice level, pushing the right pedals. This was a song he's heard over and over for the last couple months. He's had a lot of time to waste, so he spent it looking into new music, and Twenty-One Pilots has been one of the many bands he's found and enjoyed. No, it wasn't something that he'd normally pick, but it's been growing on him.

  
_"Though I'm weak and beaten down,_   
_I'll slip away into this sound,_   
_The ghost of you is close to me,_   
_I'm inside-out, you're underneath."_

  
The music falls back to it's original pace, giving Blaine a point to breathe properly.

  
_"I've got two faces, blurry's the one I'm not,_   
_I've got two faces, blurry's the one I'm not,_   
_I need your help to take him out,_   
_I need your help to take him out,"_

  
He slightly raises from his seat, getting into the music and it's words, as the beat picks up even more, this time not slowing down anymore.

  
_"Though I'm weak and beaten down,_   
_I'll slip away into this sound,_   
_The ghost of you is close to me,_   
_I'm inside-out, you're underneath."_

  
Since he was so concentrated on the ivory keys in front of him, he didn't even realize he had an audience watching him, with careful eyes. He also didn't realize he was starting to cry. He slows down, sitting back on the bench, a few beads of sweat coming down his forehead. Chemo made it easier to get exhausted, and overheat quickly, so this wasn't a surprise to him, but he ignored it, continuing.

  
"Don't let me be gone.  
Don't let me be gone.  
Don't let me be gone.  
Don't let me be gone.  
Don't let me be,  
Don't let me be,"

  
He stops playing for a few seconds, to let him have a few breaths before he was pushing the keys even harder than before, the sound echoing through the auditorium.

  
_"I'm a goner, somebody catch my breath,_   
_I'm a goner, somebody catch my breath,_   
_I want to be known by you,_   
_I want to be known by you."_

  
He's practically screaming the words at this point, letting out everything he's been holding in for so long, his knees bent to reach the pedals, but still standing from the bench.   
He finishes the song, sitting back down, and taking heavy breaths. His ears are ringing from the music, and his breathing is ragged. He's still not looking up, so he only hears the sound of footsteps before somone is sitting beside him. He looks up carefully to see it was Mr. Schuester. He had completely forgot that he was even still here.

  
"Blaine-" He starts, but Blaine is cutting him off.

  
"I'm sorry, I just really needed to play something. It's been a long time and-"

  
"I'm glad you did," Will says. Blaine carefully looks up the rest of the way, looking at his choir teacher's worried eyes. "You wanna talk?" He sighs heavily. Blaine blinks a few times before nodding slowly and crashing into his arms, into a big ball of tears.

  
"What if I can't do it?" Blaine cries, as his teacher wraps his arms around the boy's shoulders.

 

"What? Do what? What are you talking about?"

  
"What if I can't beat it, and everyone here did this for nothing, and all the time they took from school or work, or-or-" He stops choking on his sobs, but still gripping at Mr. Schue's white button down.

  
"Blaine, none of this is for nothing," He scoffs, patting his back carefully.

  
"It will be if I can't beat this, then all the time my mom took of work, and the time my brother missed out for auditions, and the time Kurt took from school, and Burt from the garage, all of it will be wasted. I'll be dead, and none of it will matter," Blaine sobs, his shoulders shaking violently.

  
"No, we're doing this because we care about you, and even if by some crazy, unrealistic theory that you don't make it, none of it will regret this, because we care so much about you. Every single one of us. Even if it doesn't seem like it sometimes," Will promises. Blaine huffs, pulling back and wiping at his cheeks, so Kurt didn't see how much he had been crying. He didn't want to worry him anymore than he already was worried about him.

  
"What makes it so unrealistic? Kurt refuses to talk about, but it's just as real as anything else in this world," Blaine replies, shaking his head, his voice thick with tears. Will sighs heavily.

  
"I want you to listen to me, carefully. Everything I'm about to say is just as real. Okay?" Blaine nods carefully, looking down at his lap. "You gotta look at me, or none of this is going to get through your head," Blaine sighs heavily, but reluctantly lifts his head to look at his teacher.

  
"You are incredibly brave. Now, I'm sure people have told you that a million times, and you probably don't believe them, but you need to. You came to this school because of Kurt, and that took guts. Hoping that you would fit in, and that you and Kurt would make it, and be okay. You performed and your piano was lit on fire. You've been slushied a countless amount of times, you've been pushed into lockers, shoved down the halls, you were torn down from people inside the glee club, pushed to the back, and you never left. You stayed here, knowing it wouldn't be easy, but it was for you and for Kurt. This isn't going to be easy either, and you know that now too, but you're going to get through it, just like you did all the other things,"

  
"Those things were trivial compared to cancer," Blaine rolls his eyes.

  
"Dealing with an alcoholic father, a runaway brother, and an invisible mother are not,"

  
Blaine snaps his head up, and Will knew he struck a nerve.

  
"How do you know about all that?" Blaine asks, his breathing heavy, and his heart beating like crazy. People knowing about cancer was one thing, but knowing about his crazy family was another.

  
"Kurt broke down a couple weeks ago. Don't blame him. I'm glad he told me," He reassures him. Blaine swallows thickly, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "I haven't told anyone if that's what you're worried about, and I don't plan on it," The former Warbler nods again, looking back down at his lap.

  
"Look, my point if that you're gonna be just fine, and we're going to be here for you through that entire journey. It was the whole point of tonight, okay?"

  
Blaine nods again. "Thank you,"

  
"Don't thank me. I'm your choir teacher, it's my job," He smiles bringing Blaine in for one last hug. A few more footsteps hit against the stage, and they broke up. Kurt was standing in front of them, a concerned look written on his face. "I'll see you boys at the game," Will smiles, getting up from his seat and patting Kurt's shoulder on the way out.  
"What was that about?" Kurt asks, watching his choir teacher walk out. Blaine dismisses him with the shake of his head. He gets to his feet, and taking Kurt's hand in his own.

  
"Ready?"

 

 

-0-

 

  
By the time they got their seats, Burt and Carole were also there waiting for the game to start. Blaine smiles at the sight of them. Every time he saw them, his heart grew, because they were like second parents to him. Carole gets up from her seat, wrapping Blaine in a tight hug and kissing him on the cheek.

  
"Hi, Sweetheart," She coos, rubbing his back gently.

  
"Hey," Blaine chuckles, moving onto Burt who pulled him in for a bear hug, patting his back.

  
"How you doing, son?" He asks, as they all take there seats back, no longer focusing on the team's warm-ups.

  
"I'm alright. It's freezing, but I'm good," Blaine replies, scooting closer to Kurt, trying to steal all his body warmth. Kurt smiles, as Blaine wraps both his arms around Kurt's one and they entangle their legs.

  
"It's not too bad," Carole replies, still a warm smile on her face.

  
"When you have no hair anywhere, besides your eyebrows, it's freezing," Blaine jokes, sending everyone into a small chuckle.

  
"I think they're starting," Burt says, nodding towards the field, where they were lining up for the first play. Blaine lays his head against Kurt shoulder, just starting to get as comfortable as he possibly could in these awful bleachers, when his phone started buzzing again. Blaine groans silently, pulling it out from his pocket and looking at the new text.

  
 _(6:32 PM)_  
COOPER: What do you mean tell me about it later? What happened? Do I need to come get you?

  
Blaine rolls his eyes at the text, deciding if he should even reply.

  
"What's wrong?" Kurt asks, peering over his shoulder to look at his phone screen.

  
"Cooper, he keeps texting me, asking what I'm doing and if I'm okay. God, it's so annoying," He grumbles, moving his phone so he could type without having to full extract himself from his boyfriend's body heat.

  
"At least he cares," Kurt shrugs. Blaine stops.

  
Kurt wasn't wrong. Cooper's been there for him through everything. When he had to talk to his parents about it the night he told Kurt, convinced him he was gonna be okay on his first day of chemo, when he got sick, when he passed out at Thanksgiving, the night he found out about the school newspaper, he took a beating from their dad for him, called Kurt when he needed him. Cooper's always been there, right by his side, refusing to leave, even if Blaine told him to. He's been a great brother these past few months.   
"You're right. I'm being a bad brother, It's just I wish he'd lay off a little," Blaine sighs heavily. Kurt nods slowly, turning his attention back to the game.

  
 _(6:35 PM)_  
BLAINE: I'm fine. It was nothing bad. It was actually pretty amazing. Now, let me enjoy my night off. ;)

  
Blaine slid his phone back into his coat pocket and cuddled back up to Kurt, back into their original position.

 

"You boys want anything from the concessions?" Burt asks, leaning forward to look at the pair so wrapped up around each other.

  
"Yeah, I'm thirsty from all that singing," Kurt teases. Burt nods hanging the boys a couple bills, despite Blaine's protests. "He's giving us money, take it," Kurt adds, snatching the bills up and getting to his feet, with Blaine right behind him. The latter boy slides his fingers through Kurt's, still cuddling close to him, because he really was freezing his ass of. Whoever had the bright idea of scheduling a make up game in late November was an idiot.

  
The walk to the concession was uneventful, but when they got there, the line was long.

  
"Do you want a hot chocolate or something? It will warm you up," Kurt says, rubbing his hand up and down Blaine's arm to try and warm him up himself.

  
"It has to sugar free, and I doubt that the school is that fancy," Blaine sighs, leaning his head on Kurt's shoulder while they waited. Kurt chuckles lightly.

  
"Well, then come here," Kurt says, pulling back from his boyfriend. He removes his scarf and wraps it around Blaine's neck, pulling him closer and pecking his lips carefully. Blaine laughs quietly, putting his hands on Kurt's wrist, his nose pressed against Kurt's as he leans in for another kiss. "Learned that trick from Mr. Schuester. He said it works pretty well,"

  
"I'd say so," Blaine laughs as Kurt tucks his scarf around Blaine's bare neck, and into his coat. It felt weird to kiss and show this much PDA on school grounds, without someone coming up and complaining about how horrible and disgusting it was, but it felt kinda good to finally be able to do it instead of just watching other couples do it with envy.

  
"You should go back to support group next Thursday," Kurt blurts, squeezing Blaine's hand, to make sure he wasn't about to go anywhere at his words.

  
"What? Why would I?" Blaine pulls back slightly, but Kurt wouldn't let him go any further. That was totally random, and he was just taken aback by how random it was.

  
"Damien and I think it'd be good for you," Kurt tries to persuade.

  
"When did you talk to Damien about me?"

 

 

  
_He was walking towards Blaine's room, his eyes searching through his phone. He was in the group chat for the New Directions, and he was trying not to reach through his screen and strangle Rachel and Finn. A group chat was not the place to be arguing about you relationship problems._

  
_"Kurt!" Damien hurries to walk beside him, his hands stuck deep down in his pockets of his scrubs._

  
_"Hey," Kurt gives him a bright smile, stuffing his phone into his pocket._

  
_"Can I ask you a favor?" He asks shyly, this was his only chance to ask him this. Kurt nods for him to continue. "I need you to convince Blaine to go back to support group Thursday,"_

  
_"I don't think he's going to go for that," Kurt scoffs, making a quick left hand turn down Blaine's hallway. "He was a mess after support group that day. He was convinced that I told the school, and I don't think that's a good idea," He sighs heavily. Damien sighs, stepping in front of Kurt, to make sure he had enough time to say his peace._

  
_"I know, but I think it will be good for him to keep going. It was just a rocky start,"_

 

_"Why?" Kurt shrugs, adjusting the strap of his messenger bag._

  
_"Look, my husband runs the thing, and he really thinks he can help Blaine. We went to something similar when he was in his accident, and it helped us in parts of ourselves that we didn't even know we needed help in,"_

  
_Kurt shifts his weight from one foot to the other. He wanted to say yes, but he really didn't wanna see Blaine as hurt as he was that day that he came back from there._

  
_"I just want him to go a couple more times, and if it doesn't help, then we'll let it go, but we think it will help him. I can tell he's been a little ornery lately, and I Marcus and the other patients can help him with that. He just need a little push."_

  
_"I don't know, once Blaine has his mind set on something, you cannot convince him otherwise. He's infamous for it. Ask the other New Directions," Kurt replies, shaking his head at the memory of the many fights started between Blaine and other members, just because he had his mind set._

  
_"So I hear, but you're the only one that will be able to convince him to do this. You're his boyfriend and you guys share a very special bond. I don't see a lot of people like you guys come in here. I think you'll be able to do it,"_

  
_Kurt moves his head from side to side, as if deciding if it was a good idea._

  
_"I just don't wanna fight with him over this,"_

  
_"I know, but you'll be able to convince him. Just two more sessions. They can help him get through this. This is a lot for you and Cooper to take on, just by yourselves, and Marcus can help him find a way to cope with everything. I'm begging," He says, biting his bottom lip while he waited for Kurt response. Kurt thinks for a few seconds, before sighing heavily, and reluctantly, nodding. Damien cheers, clapping his hands together. "Yes!"_

  
_"I'll do my best to try and get him to go back," Kurt nods again, a small smile appearing on his face at the nurse's excitement._

  
_"Thank you! I promise it will help!" Damien pats Kurt's shoulder before going back down the hallway, a pep in his step now._

 

 

"I just think it will help you. We both do," Kurt says, sighing. If the un amused look on Blaine's face was anything to go by, he was getting no where with this.

  
"How could you say that after what they said about you?" Blaine scoffs, shaking his head.

  
"Not they, him. One person said that, and they were wrong, they don't know me,"

  
"That makes it even worse, they were judging you by your look, no, not even your look, just by your name. I'm not going back there," Blaine moves up in line, his arm still wrapped around Kurt's. Kurt sighs heavily, praying to any higher power that this works out.

  
"One person, first of all, and they could just be worried for you. Speaking from experience. You can't judge them either. You're being too quick to pull the trigger," Blaine rolls his eyes, knowing his boyfriend was right, and Kurt can see it on his face.

  
"I don't know,"

  
"I do. Damien say Marcus can really help you, you need-"

  
"What? I need help? I have cancer, I'm not clinically insane," Blaine remarks.

  
"That's not what I meant, and you know it. I meant that you're dealing with a lot right now, and Marcus can help you get through it,"

  
"No, the only way that he can help me is by getting me a quicker cure, so I can go on with my life,"

  
"Blaine, would you listen to me?" Blaine shifts his weight from one foot to the other before turning his head to look at his boyfriend of a year. "This is a lot for your head to handle. He isn't going to give you an instant cure, but he may make it easier for you to deal with everything going on right now,"

  
"That's what you're doing. You make it a little easier. I don't need a bunch of cancer patients to remind me how much it sucks, and how I'm never going to leave the hospital after tonight, and how my parents won't visit as much after awhile, and then you'll leave because you can't handle it all, and then Cooper will go back and-"

  
"What? Blaine slow down," Kurt tugs on Blaine's arm, removing them from the line and bringing him to a more quiet spot, a few steps away. "Is that what you're scared of?"

Blaine looks anywhere but into Kurt's eyes, and nods slowly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Honey, Cooper and I aren't going anywhere. You know Sam won't leave even if you want him to, and you know Finn, Carole, and my dad, will have to be physically removed from the hospital before they stop visiting you. We all love you. Every single one of us,"

  
"What about my parents?" Blaine asks, his hazel eyes starting to water. Kurt takes a deep breath, trying to think of a way to comfort him. He can't lie to him.

  
"Do you really want your parents there?" He asks, reaching for Blaine's hands, who swallowed thickly. He takes a minute to think.

  
Does he want them there? They've been nothing but trouble these past couple months, but they're still his parents.

  
"It's okay if you don't, B," Kurt comforts. Blaine nods slowly.

  
"I don't know. They're still my parents, aren't I suppose to love them endlessly, no matter what they do?"

  
"Does your dad love you endlessly? No matter who you are, or what you do?"

  
Blaine faces goes blank. Kurt was right, he hasn't been there. He's been drunk and uncontrollable and intolerable. He shakes his head, before shrugging.

  
"I don't know," He chokes out.

  
"Hey, no, don't cry. This wasn't suppose to make you cry," Kurt chuckles lightly, leaning over to kiss the tears from his cheeks. Blaine smiles lightly. "This is the stuff Marcus can you help you in, more than I can,"

  
"Okay, I'll go," Blaine agrees, squeezing Kurt's hands tightly. Kurt's face busts into a large grin.

  
"It'll be good for you, I promise," Kurt smiles, wrapping his boyfriend into a tight, bone crushing hug. Blaine laughs, hiding his face in Kurt's shoulder. "Now, come on. Let's get back in line, get something to drink and some snacks, and we can go watch the game," Kurt offers, taking Blaine's hand in his own and leading him back to the line that has shrunk a considerable size since they were in it.

 

 

-0-

 

  
They ended up losing the game, which really wasn't a surprise, because they looked bad on the field, and their heads just weren't in the game. While Burt and Carole waited for Coach Beiste to get finished screaming at her players, Kurt drove Blaine back to the hospital. When the game ended, he only had a half hour before he was suppose to be back, and by the time they did get back, they were pushing it time wise.

  
Kurt did walk him in though. Not just because he didn't wanna say goodbye, but because there was something that's been weighing on his mind through the entire game.

  
Blaine groans as he enters his room, but quickly stops in his tracks at the sight of his brother sitting in one of the waiting chairs, loud snores escaping from his lips.

  
"He really care about you, Blaine," Kurt says, setting Blaine's abandoned jacket on the edge of the bed.

  
"I know, it's just hard for my brain to wrap around that fact sometimes," He replies, removing his hat and sitting on the edge of his bed, going to untie his shoes.

  
"Why didn't you tell me about Wednesday?" Kurt blurts, shifting uncomfortably, whilst standing in front of a sitting Blaine.

  
"What?"

  
"You didn't tell me that they were checking on your tumor Wednesday, why?"

  
Blaine sighs heavily, hanging his head down, before shrugging.

  
"Do you not want me here for it?" Kurt asks. Blaine's head snaps up, and he's shaking his head in an instant.

  
"No, no, no," Blaine assures, him, reaching for Kurt's hands, which Kurt allows. "I just forgot,"

  
"No, you didn't. I saw that look on your face in the auditorium. You didn't forget, you just didn't tell me. Why?" The slightly taller boy sits down beside his boyfriend, their hands still linked together.

  
"I wanted to forget about it," He hangs his head as he replies, scared to meet Kurt's gaze, knowing he'd cry if he did.

  
"Why? This isn't something you should forget about,"

  
"You think I don't know that? I can't sleep because of this appointment," He snaps, lifting his head up. Realization hits Kurt, and he sighs heavily, his lips planted into a firm line. "What if it's grown?"

  
"Then we'll deal with that,"

  
" Or worse, what if it's spread to other organs, vital ones,"

  
"We'll deal with that too,"

  
"By doing what? Planning my funeral?" Blaine scoffs, shaking his head. Kurt sighs heavily.

  
"You're not going to die," He repeats.

  
"So I've heard," Blaine mumbles.

  
"You keep hearing it because it's true," Kurt says, squeezing Blaine's hand in his own.

  
"Everyone tells me that, because 'I'm strong', and because 'I'm brave'. I may be both those things, but I'm not cancer strong. I have no control over what happens,"

  
"Which if why we'll deal with things as they come, but there's no point in worrying over the endless possibilities," Kurt replies, dragging Blaine's chin up, so he's looking at him.

"Okay?" Blaine nods reluctantly, letting out a deep breath.

 

"Do you want me to be here, Wednesday?"

  
"You need to go to school,"

 

"I'll be fine for a day," Kurt sighs, playfully rolling his eyes.

  
"Just come by after school lets out. Like you said, I'll be fine," Blaine replies, pecking his lips quickly. Kurt smiles, nodding his head.

  
"Now, how about you go to sleep, and I'll come see you in the morning? Sound good?"

  
"Yeah," Blaine nods again, leaning in for his goodbye kiss, which lasted a bit longer than it probably should have.

  
"I love you," Kurt smiles, rubbing their noses together, once they've broken apart.

  
"I love you too," Blaine returns, the same smile on his face.

  
"Sleep well, alright?" He gets up from his seat, and squeezes his hand one more time before letting go. Blaine nods his head again, watching his boyfriend leave through the door, and wondering how lucky he was to get someone like him.

  
The former Warbler looks over to his brother, who hasn't even moved from his original position in the chair, his head thrown back, a bit of drool coming from his mouth, falling down his chin, and his mouth wide open, loud snores coming from it. He shakes his head, getting to his feet, and poking his brother in his stomach. Cooper groans, but just curls up. He can't help but laugh.

  
"Cooper come on. If you sleep there tonight, you'll regret it in the morning. Take the couch," He says shaking his leather clad shoulder gently.

  
"Five more minutes," He mumbles, smacking his lips together.

  
"No, because I wanna be in bed in five minutes," Blaine chuckles, feeling exhausted from today's events. He had chemo the day prior, and it always whipped him for the next day. He was surprised he even left bed today.

  
"Blainey?" Cooper flutters his eyes open, turning his head at the sound of his brother's voice.

  
"Yeah, it's me. Please, get to the couch before you spend tomorrow complaining the entire time about how your neck aches," Blaine nods towards the black, pull out couch, and standing straight, stretching his arms over his head.

  
"Hey, how was the game?" Cooper says, sitting up and rubbing sleep from his eyes, ignoring his brother's request.

  
"We lost, bad," Blaine chuckles, remembering hos devastated all the Titan players looked on their way into the locker room, with Beiste yelling after them.

  
"Oh," Cooper laughs slightly, stretching his arms out. "How was your date?"

  
"It was good. The Warblers, Kurt, and the New Directions sang to me, and it was emotional, but awesome. The Warblers even sang the theme song to 'Friends'," He laughs at the memory, knowing that was a performance he would never, ever forget. Cooper smiles.

  
"That sounds great,"

  
"Yeah, now can you climb in bed, so I can go to sleep too?" Blaine asks, heading for the drawers under his wall mounted TV. Cooper chuckles again.

"Yeah, I will. Do you need my help with anything?" He asks, removing his leather jacket and setting it on the chair.

  
"Unless you wanna dress me, I don't think so," Blaine's smile fades slightly, grabbing a change of clothes from the top drawer and heading to the bathroom. Cooper sighs heavily, knowing he messed up, but he still removes his boots, and lies down on the couch, grabbing one of the spare blankets from the end chair.

  
When Blaine came back out, he was wearing a pair of black pajama pants, and a dark grey t-shirt, his clothes from the day left in the bathroom. He switches off the light before crawling into his own, uncomfortable bed, not bothering with anything else before he tried to fall asleep.

  
"Blaine?" Cooper rolls over to look at his brother.

  
"Yeah, Coop?" Blaine groans, not bothering to turn on his other side to look at him.

  
"I love you,"

  
Blaine smiles brightly.

  
"I love you too, Coop,"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kurt's song: I'll Keep You Safe, Sleeping at Last  
> New Direction's song: Stand By You, Rachel Patton  
> Warbler's song: I'll Be There For You, The Rembrandts  
> Blaine's song: Goner, Twenty-One Pilots.


	11. Chapter Eleven: Stage Three B

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I think this going to start becoming a weekly thing. With school and other things, I don't have time to make them good and any more often, so I hope you guys are okay with that. I had writer's block for a little bit too, but I think I'm back on track. I have my outline for the next few chapters, so I just have to write them. I hope you guys are still enjoying this, and I want to ask a question, regarding theories of the story.
> 
> Who do you think told Jacob about Blaine?
> 
> I'm honestly just curious. I have a person in mind, I had them when I first wrote it, I just want to know your theories as to who it is. Thank you for reading this and sticking with me, and enjoy this next chapter!

There he was, sitting at one of the large, wooden tables in the visiting room. Normally, when someone would wear mustard colored pants and a teal long sleeve shirt, they'd look ridiculous, but Blaine looked good. He was doing something on his phone, his brow scrunched with one thumb scrolling and the other hand supporting his head.

  
Miles sighs heavily, as much as he didn't wanna do this, if he stayed in the doorway any longer, staring at the boy, he'd think he was creep. The teen runs a hand over his still bald head and moves closer towards the other boy.

  
"Hey," He says quietly, grabbing his attention. Blaine looks up from his phone, scrunching his brow at the sight of him. Miles shoves his hands deep into his sweatpants pockets.

  
"Hi," He says dryly, turning his attention back to the small screen in front of him.

  
"Can I sit?" Miles asks, nodding towards the seat where Blaine had his legs propped up on it, showing off his black canvas shoes.

  
"I guess, I can't control what you do," He shrugs, removing his feet from the spot and curling in on himself. He sighs heavily, taking the seat, trying to find the right words to use. He didn't want to have to do this twice.

  
"I'm sorry," He blurts, turning in his chair to look at the boy. Blaine looks up from his phone, locking it and setting it down on the table, giving him his full attention at his words.

  
"Why?"

  
"You know why," Miles snaps. He hated doing this. He felt vulnerable, even more than he already was.

  
"No, I mean why are you apologizing. It's been five days, and now you're apologizing?" Blaine asks, cocking his head slightly to the side. The slightly shorter boy rolls his eyes.

  
"Marcus wanted me to, so you'd come back to group," He replies, shaking his head. Blaine scoffs. "And because I really am sorry," He adds, making the other boy turn his head back towards him. "I was being stupid, jealous even,"

  
"Jealous? Of what? What do I have that you don't?"

  
"A friend like Kurt," Blaine shifts uncomfortably, looking down at his hands, but Miles shrugs it off and continues. "When I was first diagnosed, I had a girlfriend. She told me she'd be there no matter what, and she told me that she loved me no matter what happened. I went through my first round of chemo, and she stopped coming around so often. She told me she was busy with school, so I shrugged it off, until she stopped coming at all. I tried texting her and she wouldn't reply," His gaze is planted firmly on the table, not wanting to know what was going through Blaine's head right now. He didn't want his pity. "She then came by one day, and said, and I quote 'I can't handle this anymore. It's too much, I have to leave you,'. All I kept thinking was, 'You can't handle this? I'm the one with cancer, not you. You can walk away, I can't. You have it easy,'," He pauses to scoff at the memory.

  
Blaine was staring at him now, listening to his story. 

  
"She was my life. We were suppose to go to San Francisco together after school. Go to college, and do all these crazy things. All our friends would say that we were meant to be together, but we obviously weren't. She doesn't understand how hard it is, and she still left. I think she just needed an excuse to leave,"

  
"It's hard for them, trust me. Almost as hard as it is for us," Blaine says quietly, playing with his thumbs.

  
"Do you have a girlfriend?"

  
"No, I don't, but trust me, I know how hard it is for them. Imagine waking up everyday and having to see the one you love the most hurt so badly, unable to help them. All you feel is helpless and hopeless, like things will never get better, but you can't cry in front of them, because you need to be strong for them, so you have to hold it in until you get home. It's horrible," Blaine huffs, shaking his head, thinking about what's Kurt's gone through. "Imagine giving up everything just like we did, just because you love that person so much. Giving up school dances, dates, football games, new movie arrivals, everything, to just sit with the person you love, rubbing their back while they throw up from chemo, and hold their hand while they get the needle inserted,"

  
Miles goes silent, looking back down at his hands.

  
"Imagine dealing with all the questions they get asked everyday about how you're doing, and how things are going, and they can't even answer some of them. Scared just as badly as we are, that the cancer could spread, or get worse, and there's nothing we can do about it,"

  
The other boy nods slowly, hating to admit that he was right, every word he said.

  
"She loved you, she loved you so much that she couldn't see you hurt anymore, it was too much. It doesn't make her weak, it just makes her scared. She doesn't want to remember you like this. She wants to remember how you were before, so she left, it was too much, and like Marcus said, for a lot of people, it is,"

  
"Did the same thing happen to you, or are you just incredibly good at guessing?" Miles teases, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Blaine laughs, hanging his head down.

  
"I'm scared the same thing will happen to me," Blaine replies. Miles gives him a strange look, but before he can ask questions, Blaine is saying something else, to avoid that conversation. "So, how was the movie?"

  
"Good, I convinced my brother to take me to see The Avengers. He hated it, but it was so nice to get to go out and do something like a normal human again," He chuckles, hanging his head down. "I know you're fairly new to this cancer thing, so let me give you a tip,"

  
"Okay,"

  
"Every single moment you have out of here, treasure it. It doesn't come often. If you think you're sick now, just wait. They'll come days where you can't even get out of bed anymore, and getting to go out and be normal is relieving. If it's going to the movies, or to the mall, or even just going home, cherish these times,"

  
Blaine swallows thickly.

  
"Cherish the people you're with, never take anyone for granted, remind them just how much they mean to you, because something could happen to us, and one day we could be fine, and the next we have a week to live. It's just not worth it," Miles sniffles, nodding his head, and giving him a small smirk. Blaine nods with him.

  
He's always had a problem with anger. When he was angry he said dumb things, hence the fight with Kurt, and when he had bickers with Sam and other New Directons members. He went to Dalton Fight Club to help, but he hasn't had that release in a long time, and now there was no way he could actually hit a punching bag with enough force to make it shake, or hit someone that sent them stumbling back, he just doesn't have the strength anymore. Another thing cancer has taken from him.

  
"The doctors will say you're fine, which it sometimes true, but that doesn't mean something couldn't happen. It could spread as easily as it came, and it could be the end of you. It could progress even in the slightest, which brings your survival rate down. I'm not saying give up, because you should never give up, even with a two percent survival rate, but just be thankful for everything and everyone in your life. Like you said, they've given up a lot to be with you. Take it from me,"

  
Blaine nods slowly, not knowing what else to say. He wasn't wrong, but it was bringing a whole other level of guilt for fighting for Kurt, and not being thankful enough for Cooper and all he's done. He was just complaining about him this morning, and now Miles says this, and he feels horrible for even thinking it.

  
"Alright, I have chemo in ten minutes, so I'll see you later, Blaine," He pats Blaine shoulder gently before getting to his feet.

  
"It's okay, by the way," Blaine assures him with a small smile, which Miles returns at the words. He nods once more before turning around and leaving him alone once more.

 

 

-0-

 

 

He hates it. He hates being in class, knowing Blaine had gone through another check-up on his tumor. Even if it showed nothing, Kurt should be at the hospital with him, holding him no matter what the results were. No, instead he was sitting in French class, learning things he already knew from when his mother taught him when he was little when he was going through a phase of loving France and all it offered.

  
Kurt taps his pencil on his notebook aimlessly, moving his leg up and down while his teacher taught the class about adverbs and adjectives. His cheek is being supported by his fist and his eyes were practically drooping. He really only took this class to get an easy A anyway.

  
When Mr. Schuester appeared in the doorway, with Ms. Pillsbury beside him, their teacher stops at their beckons.

  
"Alright, discuss your weekend plans with your partner, in French!" She says, before walking towards the pair. Kurt looks to his left and sees it's none other than Azimio.

  
"You won't understand a word I'll say, and we both know you're going to fail this class, so let's just skip this part," Kurt rolls his eyes at the jock, going back to his notebook.

Azimio opened his mouth to speak, but Mr. Schuester was calling for him.

  
"Kurt, can you come with us real quick? Grab your things,"

  
His heart drops. In an instant, he's shoving his things into his bag and following them. The class was staring at him, wondering what was going on, just as confused as he was.

  
"Is it Blaine?" Kurt asks, before they can even make it all the way out the door.

  
"Your dad called and-"

  
"Oh my god, did he have another heart attack?" Tears wells up in Kurt's eyes at the thought. The hall is empty, but Kurt still felt like he couldn't breathe. He could tell it was bad news by the look on their faces, like they really didn't wanna be the ones to tell him this.

 

"No, you're dad is fine. Blaine went in for his test today and-"

  
"Oh no," He covers his mouth with his hand, choking out a loud sob. This was it, the cancer had spread, and he was going to die, this was the announcement he's dreaded ever since he found out.

 

"Blaine's cancer progressed, it's now considered stage three B, which to my understanding is-"

  
"Oh God, oh God," Kurt sobs out, bending over his knees, his bag falling to the floor.

  
"Oh Kurt," Emma coos, her heels clicking over to him, to wrap him in a hug as best she could, but Kurt shakes her off.

  
"No, I need to get to him. He needs me," Kurt gets up in an instant, picking up his pace towards the front door, quickly picking up his bag from the ground. 

  
"Kurt! You can't drive like this! Just take a few seconds!" Mr. Schuester calls after him, running after him. Kurt ignores him, and makes a quick right turn, ending up crashing into a body.

  
"Kurt," It's his father, gripping onto him tightly, not letting him go.

  
"Let me go!" Kurt cries, trying to shake himself from his grasp, but Burt wouldn't let him.

 

"Kurt, calm down. Take a deep breath,"

  
"Don't tell me to-to take a breath. Blaine needs me," He whimpers the last part, going limp at the last phrase, and collapsing onto the floor, luckily Burt caught him before he could hit the ground. "I can't lose him,"

  
"Shh, you're gonna be just fine and so is he," Burt promises, the other couple catching up to him, both a little out of breath from running down the halls.

  
"It was all for nothing. All the chemo, all the throwing up, all of it, it was all pointless," Kurt sobs. Burt sighs heavily, petting Kurt's hair down, just like his mother used to do when Kurt would scrap his knee as a child.

  
"No, that's not true. He's still fighting, he's still fighting, Kurt," Burt coos, squeezing him tight to his chest. Kurt sobs, not even caring if he's having another breakdown in the middle of the hallway, luckily it was empty this time, but he was sure even in the classrooms, you could hear him sob.

  
Will knees down beside the pair, putting a reassuring hand on Kurt's shoulder.

  
"This isn't fair," He whimpers, gripping his dad's, dusty brown work jacket.

  
"I know, we know," His father agrees, giving Will and Emma a look calling for help, not really knowing what to do anymore beside hold him.

  
"I wanna go see him," Kurt says, breaking from his father's grasp and wiping the moisture from his cheeks.

  
"That's why I'm here, to pick you up and take you. He's going hysterical,"

  
"What do you mean?" Kurt scrunches his brows in confusion, taking the handkerchief Emma was offering and dabbing at his eyes.

  
"He's freaking out. When I left he wouldn't let anyone even step foot in his room, then he was yelling at Cooper for God knows what, and was calling for you. He's a wreck, Kurt," Burt reports, getting back to his feet and giving Kurt his hand. Kurt nods, taking his dad's hand up.

  
"Then let's go, I need to get to him,"

  
"OKay, Finn said he'd take your car home, so we're taking the truck, let's go," Burt wraps an arm losely around Kurt's shoulders and turns back to Will and Emma. "Thank you,"

  
"Of course, anything for you guys," Will says, patting Burts arm before the father-son duo left the building.

  
"Do his parents know?" Kurt asks, noting how horribly his father parked in a handicapped space in his rush to get to him.

  
"His mother does. She was there when he got the test done, but Blaine wouldn't even see her. He's refusing to see anyone beside you, and he's yelling at Cooper for nothing,"

The pair climb in the truck and Burt pulls out of the parking lot as fast, and legal as he could, pulling onto the road.

  
"What does this mean for him?" Kurt sniffles, looking down at his hands.

  
"To my understanding, the cancer has spread to some lymph nodes, and through all the layers of his stomach, but hasn't spread to any nearby organs or tissue, yet."

  
"So, he can still make it through this?"

  
"Yeah, with a fourteen percent," Burt replies, "But, Blaine isn't going to give up. Cooper, you, and I won't let him. He's too far into this to give up. He's going to take that fourteen percent and pull through,"

  
"How do you know?" Kurt asks, swallowing thickly.

  
"I don't," He shrugs, pulling up to a red light. "But, you have to be careful around him. Anything he says right now is going to be out of frustration and hurt. This isn't easy on him. If you think it's hard on you, it's worse for him. You just have to help him push through this, and get better, okay?"

  
"Okay," Kurt nods slowly, picking at the end of his sleeve, toying with the lose string. Burt notices his fidgeting and putting a hand on his knee.

  
"He'll be okay,"

  
They ride in silence the rest of the way there, not knowing what else to say. Everything was up in the air right now.

 

 

As soon as they arrived at the hospital, Kurt was booking it into the door, not running, but not really walking either. He just needed to see him, but if he went any faster he would have gotten lost. Well, he would have gotten lost if he didn't already hear Blaine from down the hall, yelling at God knows what. He also heard Cooper's voice yelling, trying to yell louder than his brother, just to top his voice. 

  
"You're breathing down my neck!" Blaine yells at the top of his lungs.

  
"Oh no," Kurt whispers, picking up his pace.

  
"Because I care about you! Do you not understand that!?" Cooper shouts back.

  
"I'm not stupid, Cooper! I'm sick not dumb,"

  
"Jesus, stop putting words in my mouth!"

  
"Just go away! I don't want you here!" Blaine growls.

  
"I don't think you should be alone, Squirt,"

 

"Stop calling me that stupid nickname! I'm not a kid anymore! Just leave!"

  
"No, because I care about. I told you I would never leave your side when I found out,"

  
"I don't want you here anymore! Go away! Run off like you did to me! Just leave me alone with not only my problems but yours too! You did it then!"

  
"You're so much like Dad, Blaine, and you don't even realize it!"

  
"Cooper-"

  
"Shit," Kurt whispers, just making it into the doorway. "Blaine, stop talking," He says, before even getting a look of what was going on. Cooper was standing in front of the bed, and Blaine was sitting at the edge, looking angrier than he ever has before. The former Warbler looks away from his brother to his boyfriend, and his shoulders relax.

  
"Whatever," Cooper rolls his eyes, brushing past Kurt, bumping his shoulder on the way out. Kurt brushes it off.

  
"Blaine, you need to apologize," Kurt orders, his eyebrows raised. Blaine sighs, turning away from his boyfriend. "Blaine-"

  
"I will," Blaine rolls his eyes, tears welling up in his eyes. Kurt breathes a sigh and sits down on the edge of the bed beside him, just as Blaine burst out into tears, sobbing. Kurt wraps his arms around his shoulders, squeezing him tightly to his chest, petting his bald head carefully.

  
"I don't wanna die," Blaine sobs, gripping at Kurt's sweater with all he had in him, his shoulders shaking with loud sobs. Kurt goes to say something, but he just can't, he can't say anything, he bites his lip instead, nuzzling his cheek against the top of Blaine's bare head, holding back his sobs, trying not to scare Blaine anymore than he already was.

  
This was not the time to cry. He had to be there to show him everything was going to be okay, and so was he. This was obviously something Blaine was saving for when Kurt got here, considering how quickly he burst into tears, sobbing loudly.

  
"Come on, let's lie down," Kurt persuades, peeling the covers back and kicking his shoes off, lying down under the covers. Blaine crawls in with him, laying his head down on his chest, feeling Kurt's rapid heartrate, slowly going down with every beat. Blaine whimpers, nuzzling his nose against Kurt's chest.

  
They're silent. Neither of them saying anything for what feels like eternity, just wrapped in each other's warmth. Kurt rubbing at his shoulder gently, and Blaine's thumb running across Kurt's sweater clad stomach.

 

"Fourteen percent," Blaine says breaking the silence. Kurt nods slowly.

  
"Yup,"

  
"That's less than fifteen,"

  
"Yup,"

  
"Now what?"

  
"I don't know," Kurt shrugs helplessly.

  
They were too young to be dealing with this. This is something they should be dealing with when they're seventy, and experienced life together, almost ready to give it all up.

Not when they're seventeen years old, and barely left the state. It's not fair. It's not right.

  
"Why is this happening?" Blaine asks, having calmed down an enormous amount. Kurt has that effect on him. Kurt shakes his head.

  
"I don't know," He scoffs, swallowing thickly. He wants to answer, but he doesn't have any to give.

 

"I don't wanna die," He admits again, sucking in a deep breath.

  
"You won't," The words feel horrible on his tongue, like they're just lies now, because even he doesn't know if that's true. The odds definitely weren't on their sides. Blaine nods, knowing it hurt just as bad to hear it as it did to say it.

  
"Okay,"

  
Kurt leans down, pressing a long kiss to the top of his head, breathing in the scent that could only be described as Blaine, and home.

 

"I love you,"

  
"I love you too,"

  
They don't fall asleep, but they don't say anything either, just absorbing each other's warmth, and enjoying that they were there together. There was a lot to talk about, but right now just wasn't the time. There might never be a time.

 

 

It was another two hours before someone came in. Dr. Thomas.

  
"Hey, boys," He smiles, as if Blaine didn't find out today that his cancer has progressed, and he's not getting any better. "How are you?" He asks, as Blaine slowly sits up, and Kurt starts to slide out, but Blaine stops him, tugging on his hand, so he sits back with his boyfriend.

  
"I don't know," Blaine admits, looking down at his hands.

  
"That's okay. That's normal to feel like this. You just got some really important news. Which is what I'm here to discuss with you," He pulls up the backless stool from the far corner of the room and slides up beside his patient.

  
"Okay," Blaine nods slowly, swallowing the lump in his throat.

  
"So, the chemo didn't work," He starts. "That's okay. We caught it before it could move up an entire stage, and it's still curable. Your chances have gone down, but it's still possible. We had you on two different medicines, with chemo once every other day, correct?"

  
"Yeah," Blaine nods, scrunching his brow, interested in what was next for him.

  
"Okay, so that didn't work, it wasn't enough, so now we're going to skip your week break, since you just finished this last cycle, and we're going to start on Friday, hit you hard with a round of Fluorouracil first, which is a cancer fighting drug, but it has it's own side effects. You can develop a skin rash, which could result in some redness, which is normal, again, to an extent, if it starts to itch horribly, or blister or anything, then something's wrong. It mat cause a sore throat, inflammation of the esophagus, mouth sores, which wouldn't be horrible, considering we have your feeding tube now.

  
"Then you'll get a round of Doxorubicin, which is again through an infusion, which comes with a long list of side effects, some of them being, chills, excelled heart rate, fever, and joint pain, but in moderation with other pills all of these can be controlled for the most part. You'll still have nausea as well, which there's only so much we can do for that. That will be your first day, and it will take around eight hours or so. The drugs throughout the next few weeks will start to differentiate, because there's some drugs we don't want to give you more than once a week, or once every few weeks, but chemo will be everyday. These drugs are a little bit harder, so hopefully these ones work," Blaine remains silent. They both do, just trying to absorb all the information they're being given, not wanting to interrupt him just yet.

  
"Now, for you personally, I would suggest a ton of rest. Chemo is going to wear you down horribly. It really takes a lot of you. If you want visitors that's fine, but if you do get a fever, we'll have to cancel it until it goes down again. Um, we're going to do this cycle for six weeks, then we'll check up on your tumor again. If it gets smaller, we'll keep going, and hopefully after three or four rounds, we can just remove the now large tumor, leaving you with a very small stomach. We may just take some of your intestines and make a makeshift stomach instead. It depends on how things go,"

  
Blaine stares at him. This was a lot, a lot to take in and handle. This was basically the beginning of something bad. It would leave him feeling horrible, just like Miles had said last Sunday.

  
"Blaine, are you okay?" Dr. Thomas asks, cocking his head to look at his patient.

  
"Yeah, it's just a lot,"

  
His doctor smiles. "Yeah, it is, but we're gonna take care of you. We'll make sure you're just fine, alright?" Blaine nods once more. "Good, so on Friday at around eight or nine, a nurse will come in and start you on your chemo. Tomorrow I suggest, just making sure you have everything you'll need for the cycle, and make sure you're comfortable, and we're going to build up your diet just slightly, so that you're strong enough. Sound good?" The man gets up from his seat, scooting the stool back into the corner.

  
"Yeah, sounds good," Blaine says quietly. His doctor starts to leave, but stops, turning back to his patient, and studying him carefully, before speaking once more.

  
"Blaine, I think that you should see our therapist that comes in every Thursday for support group, and Friday for one on one,"

  
"I don't know," Blaine shrugs, looking down at his lap.

  
"I'm not going to push you to do it, but as your doctor, I suggest you do it, for your sake, okay?"

  
"Okay,"

  
"Alright, I'll see you in a few days," He nods, patting Blaine's leg before leaving the couple alone again.

  
"I don't wanna do this," Blaine scoffs, shaking his head.

  
"What do you mean?" Kurt turns his head to look at his boyfriend with confusion.

  
"I don't wanna get chemo again," Blaine replies, sighing heavily. "It sounds like hell,"

  
"It will be, but it'll be worth it. This is your life we're talking about. This is the beginning of something good," Kurt promises, pecking his temple gently. "Now, you're going tomorrow, right?"

  
"I don't know-"

  
"You said you would,"

  
"I know, but I don't want to. I hated it last time. I hated it so much. I felt so dumb, like I was a rookie at cancer," He scoffs, shaking his head at the thought.

  
"It just takes a few times to get used to it. It'll help you. Dr. Thomas even said so,"

  
"Fine," Blaine huffs, crossing his arms over his chest.

  
"I also think you should talk to Marcus one on one on Friday," Kurt admits sheepishly, scrunching his brow with concern for his boyfriend.

  
"No, that's where I draw the line," Blaine shakes his head, vetoing it instantly.

  
"Blaine, just once. Just try it once, then you don't have to go back,"

  
"You said that about support group,"

  
"I know, but your first time was jip, this time I mean it," Kurt nods encouragingly.

  
"Will it get you and Damien off my back?"

  
"Yeah, one hundred percent," Kurt smiles a little.

  
"Okay, but just once,"

 

"Thank you," Kurt leans over, pecking Blaine's lips carefully. Blaine hums in response. "You know we just want what's best for you,"

 

 

-0-

 

  
The next day, Blaine found himself in the same spot he was last week at noon on Thursday. He was sitting in a metal, folding chair, feeling as uncomfortable as ever, and it wasn't because of the chair this time. Marcus had just walked into the small, meeting room, sitting in his usual chair in front of the half circle of chairs.

  
"Hey, guys, what's up?" He chuckles, removing his scarf, and setting it aside. The other kids mumble a few words back to him, but no one really says any intelligable words to him. "Wow, you guys sound enthusiastic," He breathes. "Alright, fine, then let's get started. Since there are no new members, I guess we can get right into our positive for the week. Who's first?"

  
Everyone goes quiet, looking around at each other, waiting for a volunteer.

  
"I'll go," Lincoln shrugs, seeing as no one else was going to speak up. Almost everyone hated going first. It was just a given. "My dad came again today, and he said that once I finally get healthy again, he wants to take me out to see a Buckeye's game. I'm so stoked," Lincoln chuckles.

  
"Lincoln! That's great!" Marcus encourages, a large, but genuine smile on his face. 'Man, he can really fake it,' Blaine thinks to himself.

  
After the Sadie Hawkins dance, his parents had begged him to go to a therapist, because he was having horrible nightmares. He would wake up screaming, because he was reliving everything that was had happened that night. He even ripped his stitches the first night in the hospital, because he sat up so quickly. He went, against better judgement, and by the time the second week rolled around, he hated it. She didn't care what he had to say, made him sound crazy, and he hated it. The first thing she did was say he needed medication, which he outright refused. She faked a smile, but you could see in her eyes that she didn't care and that she was only here to get paid. Ever since then, he's hated therapist. It's not that he hated Marcus as a person, but what he does.

  
Miles's voice is what broke into his thoughts, by the look of it, Josie had just shared something positive, but Miles's was aiming his towards Blaine, if the look in his eyes was anything to go by, and the way his eyes were locked on him. Gray meeting hazel.

  
"I think I made a new friend Sunday," He says, smirking towards Blaine, who returned the small smile. Marcus eyes them carefully, his grin getting even wider, his smile almost blinding. He really could be a poster-child for Colgate.

  
"I'm happy for you, Miles. I told you it was worth it," Marcus remarks, winking at his patient. "Now, Sadie?"

  
"Well, I went through a week of chemo, and only threw up twice," She chuckles, making everyone do the same.

  
"It's the little things," Marcus replies, smirking at the teen, who nods at him, agreeing.

  
"My little sister came and saw me yesterday, and she laid in bed with me, and we watched 'So You Think You Can Dance' all day," Leo announces.

  
"Adorable," Marcus adds. Leo nods back, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Alright, Blaine, you're last,"

  
"Friday was an amazing day. I went to football game with Kurt, and all my friends, even the Warblers came and sang to me, it was really inspiring," Blaine says, unable to help the smile on his lips. Marcus smiles back, happy that Blaine had some kind of positive for this week, and didn't have to pry like last week.

  
"You're a Warbler?" Lincoln asks, "From Dalton? The all boys prep school?" Blaine chuckles at his shocked face.

  
"I used to be. I transferred to McKinley awhile ago,"

  
"The one in Lima? Why? Why would you go back to a public school?" Leo asks, shaking his head in disbelief. Blaine's cheeks turn a light pink, thinking about the reason.  
"It held better opportunities," He shrugs, a knowing smirk playing on his lips.

  
"Better opportunities? Like what? Bullies, and easy classes?" Leo laughs. Blaine chuckles.

  
"What can I say, it's where my heart belongs,"

 

"Isn't Dalton where a ton of gay boys go to get laid? Was that you too?" Sadie asks, cocking her head towards Blaine. Blaine's face drops.

  
"Sadie!" Marcus scolds, scrunching his brows at the girl. "Ignore that, Blaine,"

  
She was doing this on purpose. Why was she doing this? She had the smirk on her lips, and that knowing look in her rich, honey colored eyes. What did he do? Why was she coming for him?

  
"What's wrong with you?" Blaine blurts, shaking his head. Sadie scoffs, shaking her head.

  
"Can we move on?" She asks, sighing heavily, and crossing her arms over her chest.

  
"We're talking after this," Marcus says, pointing at the young, teenage girl, who just rolls her eyes in response, as if she was sentenced to detention. "Alright, group discussion, let's work some things out, hopefully only cancer related," he eyes Sadie carefully. "Any new news? Good or bad," Blaine shifts uncomfortably, looking down at his hands.

  
"I finished up another round of chemo yesterday," Leo announces.

  
"How many more left?" Marcus asks, tilting his head to the side, with what looked to be real consideration.

  
"I have three left, then hopefully, they can do something about it," Leo replies, a smile on his face at the thought of being able to get out of here.

  
"On step closer. Congrats man," Marcus leans over to his let, patting his arm carefully.

  
"Anyone-"

  
"They're sending me in for another surgery on Sunday," Miles blurts, his brow furrowed and his head bent down, swallowing thickly. Everyone stops.

  
"It hasn't been that long since the last one," Josie says, her voice still sound frail and made of glass.

  
"I know, but they're worried about my tumor, so they're going to try and remove it,"

  
"Isn't that risky?" Sadie asks, shaking her head with disbelief.

  
"Every time they open up my skull, it's dangerous, Sadie," Miles snaps, shaking his head back at her, flicking his tongue over his teeth. "I'm sorry. I'm just scared,"

  
"Dude, you did it last time. You can do it again," Lincoln assures him, reaching over the seat beside him, and patting his back. Miles nods slowly, trying not to cry in the middle of support group, again.

  
"Miles, doctors know what they're doing. They aren't going to fail you, okay? They're here to take good care of you, and that's what they're going to do, alright?" Marcus consoles, bending his head, so he can meet Miles's eyes, who nods once more, sniffling back his tears.

  
"I just want you guys to know, before, just in case, that you guys mean a lot to me. You helped me through so much, and I want you to know that," Miles says, eyeing everyone.

"I mean that. Every single one of you. Even Blaine, who's only been here a week. I care a lot about all of you,"

  
"Miles," Leo breathes, not knowing what else to say. He was saying goodbye.

 

"I just have this feeling in the pit of my stomach. That something's wrong. I don't know what, but I feel it. It's like a knot, and I don't know what to do about it,"

  
"All you can do is wait it out. Like Marcus said, they're going to take good care of you. Think on the bright side of everything. Don't let this eat away at you. Enjoy these next few days, before you're surgery. If you're really worried, just make sure things are in order before you go under,"

  
"Blaine!" Lincoln snaps, his eyes wide. Blaine looks to the other boy.

  
"No, he's right. He's not being crude, he's just being realistic. Thank you for that. Most people aren't anymore," Miles says, giving Blaine a small smile, which he returns.

  
"I care about you too, Miles," Blaine nods. The other boy's smile grows at his words.

  
"Alright, enough of this sad talk," Lincoln grumbles, crossing his arms over his chest, and sitting back in his seat. "I'm not saying goodbye to my best friend," he scoffs. "This week they switched up my medicine, and it's making me really nasueas,"

  
Everyone starts to turn back to normal, trying not to think about Miles's surgery coming up. They turns their attention to Lincoln. Blaine was still getting used to how normal these occurrences were.

  
"Have you talked to your doctor about it?" Marcus asks. Lincoln shakes his head, a horrible pout still sitting on his face. "You need to. Guys, if you're expriencing problems like this, then you need to tell your doctor. If they don't know about the problem, they can't help. They may just be able to give you some medications to ease the throwing up," He's talking to everyone now. Lincoln shakes his head, still remaining in his sour mood. He wasn't up for this anymore. He wanted out, now.

  
Everyone's quiet for a few seconds, before Marcus speaks up once more.

  
"Blaine, I heard some news about you this past week, do you wanna share?" Marcus persuades, noticing how quiet the former Warbler was, even after his very eventful week.

  
"Yeah, I guess," He shrugs, swallowing thickly. "Yesterday, I had some testing done on my tumor, and they found out that I have progressed to stage three B. My percentage has gone down to fourteen percent, and it's spread to the outer walls of my stomach," It feels disgusting saying it out loud. Miles is having surgery on his brain, and he's complaining because of, what feels like at the moment, just some stomach problems. He scrunches his face up with disgust. Sadie scoffs, rolling her eyes.

  
"Sadie," Marcus warns, eyeing her carefully before looking back to Blaine.

  
"How are they treating it?" Josie asks before Marcus can.

  
"They're starting me on chemo everyday for another six weeks I think. New medications, and more harsh this time," Blaine says.

  
"Why'd you look so disgusted?" Marcus asks, with what seemed to be real concern in his eyes.

  
"I just feel so stupid," Blaine replies, shrugging his shoulders, and leaning back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest.

  
"Why?"

  
"Because here Miles is, having surgery on his brain, and I'm complaining about some stomach problems," he shakes his head.

  
"If you're just having stomach problems, then I'm just having a headache," Miles replies, his eyes full of sympathy. Blaine swallows, looking down at his shoes, trying to focus on the small dirt smudge on his toe. "Blaine, your problems matter too," He shakes his head, as if to dismiss him.

  
"Blaine, what makes you feel like this?" Marcus asks, cocking his head to the side. He shrugs in response.

  
"I don't know. I've always been one to push my problems aside, and worry about other people first. When I found out I had cancer, the first thing I did was look over to my mom, because she just started sobbing. I needed to make sure she was okay. When I told Kurt, the only thing I could think about, what how much this was going to impact his life,"   
Marcus smiles a wide grin, Blaine eyes him.

  
"You sound like Damien," He chuckles, shaking his head. "He's always like that. Why do you think he became a nurse? It's hard living like that. While people are worrying about you, you can only worry about them. It's not always good,"

  
"It's never been a factor," He shrugs.

  
"Blaine, you just did it. Moved your, very serious, problems aside, because somone else was hurting," Marcus points out, nodding towards Miles, who had a small smile on his face. Blaine chuckles, his cheeks turning a light pink. He shrugs casually.

  
"It's just never bothered me," Blaine admits sheepishly, shaking his head at himself. Marcus laughs, shaking his head as well. He turns around, looking at the clock behind them. They were well past their hour.

  
"Alright guys, we'll continue this next week. Miles good luck on your surgery. I'll be there to visit you after, and Lincoln talk to your doctor. Leo, congratulations, Josie, you're doing fabulous, and Sadie, Blaine, talk to me after," He says. The few disperse. Miles and Lincoln going down the hallway, talking aimlessly. Leo isn't far behind him, talking to Josie shyly, rubbing the back of his neck carefully.

  
"Sadie just wait a sec, alright. I'm not gonna make you guys work this out. That's up to you guys. If you want my help, then I'll step in," Marcus says. "Blaine, hold up," Blaine was waiting by the door for his group therapist.

  
"I want you to come in tomorrow and see me," He says, crossing his arms over his chest. Blaine sighs heavily.

  
"I don't know. I just don't think I need it," He shrugs, scrunching his face at the thought.

  
"You do. There's a few things I want to talk to you about, alright? Promise you'll come in at three tomorrow?" Marcus puts a hand on Blaine's shoulder, squeezing tightly. The shorter boy sighs heavily, and reluctantly nods.

  
"Okay, three it is,"

  
"Awesome. I'll be here," he smiles, patting Blaine arm before going back to Sadie. Blaine starts on his way out, but stops when he hears a choked sob. He turns around to see Sadie sobbing loudly into Marcus's arms, and Marcus holding her tightly to his chest, rubbing her back carefully. Blaine scrunches his eyebrows, but turns to leave anyway. It wasn't his business, if she wanted people to know, she would have said something in group.

  
He liked going this time. Besides Sadie's outburst, trying to out him, he liked going. He's happy Kurt and Damien had pushed him so hard to go, because he really feels like it helped. He feels a slight weight lifted off his shoulders. He still doesn't want to go tomorrow, but he's willing to try, because it worked today, maybe they're right about tomorrow too.

  
At first he was so pissed at Sadie for saying what she said. Now, after hearing her cry so hard, and fall into Marcus's arms, he knew it was just because something dramatic must have happened, and she took it out on Blaine, so he's going to let it slide. This time.

  
When he gets back to his room, it's empty, but there's a note sitting on his pillow.

  
_"We went out for coffee, be back soon,_   
_Love, Kurt and Cooper"_

  
"Kurt and Cooper went for coffee? That's gotta be interesting," he mumbles, setting the note down on his nightstand and sitting down in bed, searching for the TV remote.

 

 

-0-

 

 

"No coffee?" Kurt asks, looking to Cooper as if he had grown a horn.

  
"No, I live on that stuff, and I need a break from it," Cooper explains, sighing heavily and planting himself down in one of the seats at the small, two person table. Kurt nods, sitting across from him and taking a drink from his mocha. "How do you think group went?"

  
"Hopefully better than the last time," Kurt sighs, shaking his head at the memory. The actor nods in agreement, fiddling with the cup on his strawberry smoothie. "So, why did you wanna go get coffee?"

  
Cooper shifts in his seat.   
"Alright, there's something I need to talk to you about,"

  
"Okay," Kurt says hesitantly, not knowing if he really even wanted to know about this. What ever it was, was causing Cooper to shift, and avoid Kurt's eyes, which worried him horribly.

  
"My dad's getting worse,"

  
"What do you mean?" Kurt cocks his head in confusion, scrunching his eyebrows together.

  
"I mean he's never been this bad. Everything makes him angry now. He's getting abusive again," Cooper replies, rolling up the sleeve on his leather jacket to show of a few cuts and bruises, even on his wrist that resembled fingertips gripping hard onto the olive skin. He slips it back down, looking around the small cafe nervously.

  
Kurt's eyes go wide. It's his turn to shift uncomfortably in his chair.

  
"He finally got off the bottle for three days, but he's back, and now we rarely see him. My mom's worried he's cheating, but I really just think he's at bars all night,"

  
"Isn't that a good thing? He's gone,"

  
"It's almost like he's given up though. He used to come home and just beg my mom for sex, but now he doesn't care enough to stay loyal. It's the one thing I learned from him, the one thing he stood by, and now even that's gone. A coworker called last night, and wondered why he didn't come to work, but we saw him leave that morning,"

  
Kurt nods, still not seeing what was so bad. In his mind, James Anderson was a horrible person, and he didn't care if he was lying in the middle of the street, as long as he wasn't around Blaine and himself.

 

"I know that I shouldn't care, but I'm worried-"

  
"Worried? Look what he's been doing to you, or what he's done to Blaine. I don't feel an ounce of sympathy for him," Kurt snaps, shaking his head with disbelief, he thought Cooper was better than this. James has beaten, stole, embarrassed, and harassed this family all their lives, and Cooper had sympathy for the man? Not a chance.

  
"Worried what he's gonna do. We won't tell him what room Blaine's in, for his safety, because we all know, that as much as he wishes it wasn't true, Blaine couldn't fend him off if he came for him, and no offense to you, but you couldn't either. It's for his safety, and yours. The last time he stopped coming home, was ten years ago, and when he came back, he ripped Blaine and I from school, literally, and screamed at our teachers, claiming they weren't doing their jobs because we're dumber than a box of rocks. Then he made us move schools and houses, picking up the job he has now. I don't know what he's got up his sleeve, but I'm worried,"

  
"What do you think he'll do?" Kurt asks, swallowing thickly, shifting under Cooper's gaze.

  
"I don't know. Maybe go to the hospital and do the same, only pull Blaine from medical care completely, rip him away. I just don't know, but I'm scared something is gonna happen. I have a feeling, a bad one," Cooper sighs, shaking his head, and taking a drink from his cup. "Does he have your address?"

  
"No, not that I know of," Kurt shakes his head frantically.

  
"Good, because one thing I do know is that he doesn't like you. He says you turned Blaine gay, and that Blaine's now gonna have AIDS and HIV," Cooper rolls his eyes at the stereotype. "He bitches about you a lot. Just avoid him. If you see him anywhere, in the store, at the garage, anywhere, just run, because when he's drunk, it's hard for even me to get rid of him. He's incredibly strong, he's get like black out angry too,"

  
Kurt nods numbly, his palms filling with sweat now, worried about it now.

  
"Look, I'm not trying to freak you out, I care about you as much as I care about Blaine and I wanna see you guys safe,"

  
The younger boy nods again.

  
"Is that why Pam hasn't been coming to the hospital lately?"

  
"Yeah, he's forbidding both of us to go see him, because 'he doesn't need a pity party'," Cooper scoffs, rolling his eyes, and leaning back in his chair.

  
"Is that why he hits you? Because you still see him?" Kurt questions, worried that may be over stepping now.

  
"No, he doesn't even know that I go. Usually he's not home, but when he is, I tell him I'm going to an auditon, he grumbles about how I won't get the part, then I leave. My mom's just too paranoid about, which I understand, but your sick kid should come first," He says bluntly. Kurt nods slowly, not knowing how much would be too much. They sit for a minute, not saying anything at all, which seems appropriate for the time being.

  
"You know Blaine cares about you too, right?"

  
"After what he said yesterday? I'm not so sure," he sighs heavily, shaking his head at the memory of his brother screaming at him, hitting every single pressure point he had.  
"He does. When he's angry, he just says stupid stuff. The same thing happened between us a few weeks ago. It's exhausting, but you learn to not let it bother you," Kurt assures him, with a small smile. Cooper hesitates before saying anything, staring at Kurt's features.

  
"You know it pisses me off," He scoffs with a furrowed brow.

  
"It did me too, but-"

  
"No, it pisses me off that you know things about my brother that I don't. That he goes to you before me, and that when you tell him to do something, he does it. When I ask him to do something, he tells me no, or that I can do it. When he's crying, he asks for you, when I'm right there. It pisses me off," Cooper replies, sitting on the edge of his seat to get closer. Kurt's eyes go wide.

  
"Am I detecting a little bit of jealously?"

  
Cooper rolls his eyes, leaning back into his chair.

  
"Look, he's like that because I haven't left him. I haven't just gotten up and left when he needed me the most, and haven't talked to him for years, and then show up, expecting to pick up where we left off, three years ago," Kurt snaps. It was Cooper's turn to look shocked.

  
"That was harsh,"

  
"It was suppose to be. I'm not wrong. You left Blaine after promising you'd stay in contact. You barely wished him a Happy Birthday or a Merry Christmas. Last Christmas, I remember specifically, Blaine came over, and he kept checking his phone. I asked him about it, and he said he was waiting for something from you. He sent you a text, Cooper. Where's yours?"

  
The Anderson brother, flicks his tongue over his teeth, instantly feeling guilty. He doesn't know why he never texted Blaine. He just never thought he wanted to hear from him.   
"You can't just expect things to go back to how they were when you were kid. You left, with no explanation, then come back and expect things to be normal again," Kurt scoffs, shaking his head at him. Cooper doesn't say anything. "He cares about you, and loves you, but he trusts me more," Cooper remains silent, playing with the top of smoothie cup. Kurt sighs heavily. "It may take awhile, but Blaine is really forgiving, so I'm sure he'll get there," Cooper nods slowly.

  
"Okay," He says finally. Kurt gives him a small smile, reaching over the table, to give Cooper's hand a tight squeeze. Cooper's face softens, looking from Kurt's pale hand to his face, which still remained in a hopeful grin. The look in Cooper's eyes says all the thanks Kurt needs."Anyway, don't tell Blaine about any of this," He clears his throat as Kurt pulls back.

  
"About what?"

  
"About my dad and everything. He doesn't need the stress, but I figured you needed to know just in case," Cooper replies, taking a long sip from his straw.

  
"Yeah, okay," Kurt nods, agreeing. His boyfriend really didn't need anymore stress, and if yesterday was anything to go by, he doesn't handle stress well.

  
"Thank you,"

  
"For what?"

  
"For being there for my little brother. I know I'm not the best brother, but I'm trying to be, and you were there when I wasn't, so thank you,"

  
Kurt's cheeks turn a light pink, and a smile grazes his lips.

  
"I really do love him, like a lot," Kurt chuckles, looking down at the paper on his cup. "So, you don't need to thank me. There's isn't a single place I'd rather be," Cooper smiles at that, his heart warming for the couple.

 

 

 

By the time they get back to the hospital, Blaine is curled up in his sheets, his legs tangling at the bottom. His beanie is slowly slipping down his head, and his mouth is slightly ajar, small snores escaping from his thin, chapped lips. Kurt stops in the doorway, his heart thudding against his chest. Blaine really was beautiful.

  
Cooper almost runs into him on his way through the door.

  
"Woah, watch-" he stops, seeing that his baby brother was asleep, the TV playing some sort of CW show that neither recognized. Cooper smiles, noting the way Kurt was looking at him, with heart eyes. "I think I forgot my phone in my car, I'm going to go grab it," He whispers, patting Kurt's shoulder. Kurt nods, pulling out his own phone and snapping a few pictures of his sleeping beauty. He'd show them to his boyfriend later, but not now.

  
He takes a few steps into the room, pulling the blanket up over his shoulders and removing his hat totally. Of course, he doesn't move. He's always been a heavy sleeper, and chemo knocks him out.

  
Kurt chuckles when Blaine smacks his lips together, and nuzzles his nose against his pillow, before snoring again. The countertenor reaches around, switching off the TV with the remote and tucking Blaine in safely.

  
"I love you so much," Kurt sighs contently, leaning down to press a soft, lingering kiss to his bare forehead. Blaine grunts, a small smile grazing his lips. Kurt laughs quietly, running his thumb across his temple. The slightly shorter boy shifts around before blinking his eyes open for a brief second before closing them again.

  
"Hi," He smiles sleepily, making Kurt's smile grow.

 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I just wanted to make sure you woke up comfortable,"

  
"You're such a dad," Blaine jokes, his eyes still closed. Kurt playfully rolls his eyes, hitting his boyfriend's shoulder lightly. "Abuse," He laughs, his shoulders shaking with laughter. Kurt shakes his head, but goes to get up. "No, come back," Blaine begs, gripping his hand in his own.

  
"Are you sure? Cooper should be coming back soon,"

  
"I don't care," Blaine shrugs, tugging on Kurt's hand. "You look like you need a nap," He chuckles, as Kurt sits back down on the edge of the bed. "Take your shoes off, get comfy," He adds. He goes to make room for his boyfriend on his bed, but is soon sitting up, holding a hand over his mouth. Kurt's smile fades.

  
"Blaine?"

  
Blaine shakes his head, and he's soon pushing off his bed to make it to the attached bathroom, his knees hitting painfully against the tile, barely having time to flip the lid over. Kurt hurries to the bathroom, about to walk in.

  
"No, don't. I look disgus-" He cut off by another round of vomit, his hands on either side of the toilet. Kurt sighs, ignoring his boyfriend's request and sitting behind him, rubbing his back carefully. Blaine relaxes at the touch subconsciously, his hands shaking from puking, and hot tears running down his cheeks. He takes a deep breath, shutting his eyes to steady himself.

  
"You're alright," Kurt consoles, kneading into the small of Blaine's back. Blaine spits into the water, leaning back against Kurt's chest. Kurt presses a soft kiss to his temple as he rests his head against Kurt's shoulder. The countertenor wraps his arms around Blaine's middle, lacing his fingers together.

  
"I feel horrible now," Blaine says groggily, closing his eyes.

  
"Does this happen often?" Kurt asks, concern in his voice.

  
"No, this was the first time this week actually. I don't think it's just from chemo. I think it may be stress, or maybe the tumor sitting in my stomach," He scoffs, shaking his head. Kurt sighs heavily, not knowing what to say, and instead just pecking his forehead, his lips lingering.

  
"It'll get better," He promises. Blaine nods, wiping his mouth on his sleeve and turning on his side, so he's curled up in Kurt's lap. Kurt's smile returns, holding him close to his chest.

  
"I love you," Kurt whispers, resting his cheek on the top of Blaine's bald head.

  
"I love you too," Blaine replies quietly, yawning, one hand gripping Kurt's shoulder and the other sitting in his own lap. He nuzzles his nose against Kurt's sweater, shutting his eyes.

  
"Blaine, you can't fall asleep. You're going to wake up with vomit breath, and then you're going to puke again from the taste," Kurt replies, sighing heavily, and patting his ass to get him into gear.

  
"I'll be fine," Blaine grumbles, shaking his head, and sinking further into Kurt's arms.

  
"Honey, come on. You know I'm right. Let's go," Kurt laughs. It's like trying to get a five year old to eat their broccoli. "Up, brush your teeth," Kurt smiles. Blaine groans, curling into a smaller ball.

  
"I'm not five," He says, his voice slightly muffled by Kurt's sweater.

  
"No, you're five and a half," Kurt teases, kissing his cheek, which bring a smile to Blaine's lips. "Now, come on,"

  
"Fine, fine," He sighs, slowly getting off the floor. He makes sure to flush the toilet before going to the sink where his tooth brush sat in its cup. Kurt smiles, leaning against the doorway, watching him brush his teeth. Blaine turns to him, smiling around his toothbrush.

  
"You'll thank me later," Kurt replies, shaking his head teasingly. Blaine playfully rolls his eyes, spitting out the extra toothpaste when he's done.

  
"Yeah, yeah," He chuckles, rinsing his mouth out and putting his toothbrush back in its rightful place. He goes up to his boyfriend, switching off the light switch. He leans over, pressing a loud kiss to his lips, with every sound effect.

  
"Minty fresh!" Kurt cheers, pecking his lips once more, making Blaine smile even wider.

  
"Now can we go lie down?" He asks, with his best puppy dog face on. Kurt chuckles, nodding his head. Blaine cheers, taking Kurt's hand and lying down, patting the empty mattress beside him. Kurt playfully shakes his head, toeing off his shoes and lying down beside him. Blaine snuggles up against his chest, and Kurt wraps his arms around his boyfriend's shoulders, pulling the blanket up and over them. Blaine nuzzles his nose against Kurt's chest and hums contently. He could stay here forever.

  
"How'd support group go?" Kurt asks, a small, but nervous smile on his face. The last time he asked, he had cried, and he was hoping for a better response this time.

  
"Better than last time," Blaine shrugs, his eyes closed, not trying to fall asleep, but welcoming the idea.

  
"Good. I told you it would be better," Kurt's smile widens, his shoulders relaxing slightly.

  
"Do you remember that Sadie girl?" Blaine asks, his eyes falling open, his brow scrunches.

  
"Yeah, how could I forget her. Calling both us out," The taller boy shakes his head at the thought. Blaine nods.

  
"Yeah, that's her. I think she was trying to out me today," He admits softly, picking at the sheet that was hanging down at his waist.

  
"How?" Kurt was trying to act surprised, but by the way she talked to Blaine in the visiting room, it really doesn't surprise it him at all.

  
"She said Dalton was where a bunch of gay kids went to get laid. She knows I'm gay, and she had this look in her eyes, like she wanted me to just blurt out that I'm gay all over again. She was trying to get me to say it," He says with a long sigh.

  
"Well, why don't you?" Blaine snaps his head back up to his boyfriend, who was looking back down at him, with confused eyes. "You're shoving yourself back in the closet for who knows how long,"

  
"I don't wanna deal with homophobes and cancer at the same time. I thought you knew that,"

  
"I thought you were out and proud," Kurt quotes, with raised, expecting eyebrows. Blaine grumbles, hanging his head back down.

  
"I know," He replies softly.

  
"I guess dealing with a few homophobes, which might not even be true, is better than having to hide who you really are. We both know that sucks more than anything," Kurt replies, rubbing Blaine's arm as he talks. Blaine nods again, not having anything good to say back.

  
"Let's take our nap," Blaine decides, nuzzling his nose against Kurt's chest, taking in a deep breath, smelling the scent that can only be described as his Kurt. His boyfriend sighs heavily, but reluctantly nods.

  
"Alright," He says, knowing his boyfriend is probably tired from this week anyway. 

 


	12. Chapter Twelve: Who Did It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here's another one, and I like this one. I really do, and I hope you guys do too. I also hope you guys like how I'm doing the story to this. I promise, things will pick up a little, and some good things will happen to poor Blaine, but not in this one. Enjoy this chapter, and tell me what you think. Thank you and enjoy this!

  
"Blaine!" Marcus exclaims, a large grin on his face at the sight of Blaine walking through the door, his hands stuffed deep inside his hoodie pocket.

  
"Hi," Blaine replies, forcing a small smile on his face, for courtesy.

  
"I'm glad you decided to come. Take a seat," Marcus says nodding towards the empty chair across from his own. The same ones they use for support group. Blaine nods, sitting down in the seat offered, and Marcus shuts the door behind him for privacy. The room seems a lot bigger with just the two of them occupying it. "How are you?" He asks, taking a seat across from Blaine, crossing one leg over the other. The teen shrugs his shoulders, not knowing how to answer that.

  
Usually, he would lie and said he was fine, but if he was going to do this, he would do it right.

  
"I don't know," He answers honestly, crossing his arms over his chest, leaning back slightly in his chair, almost curling in on himself.

  
"Okay, well how have you been dealing with the news?" Marcus asks, his brow furrowed with concern.

  
"Fine, I guess," Blaine shrugs, not really knowing how else to answer that either. He didn't do well with it the first day, but ever since then, he's just been dealing with it.

  
"How'd you feel when you first found out?"

  
"Scared,"

  
"Why?"

  
"Why?" Blaine scoffs, shaking his head. "I'm just one step closer to dying," He adds. He expected Marcus to quickly say he was wrong, and that's not what that meant, but he didn't. He nodded instead. It was refreshing.

  
"Okay, what'd you do when you were told?"

 

Blaine chuckles, his eyes going wide with embarrassment. It definitely wasn't his best moment.

  
"I screamed at my doctor and told he was crazy. Cooper told me to calm down. When I wouldn't, he left and had to call Burt, who brought Kurt,"

  
"Why'd he have to get Kurt?" Marcus asks. There was no judgement in his voice, just curiosity.

  
"I was hysterical. I yelled at my brother. Told him to go back to California, and said that I didn't want him, and that he never was my brother," Blaine recalls, instantly feeling guilty at the memory of screaming at his brother, until Kurt came in and told him to calm down.

  
"What's that have to do with Kurt?"

  
"He brings me back to Earth. He's my rock. He's my everything," Blaine admits, with a small smile.

  
"Good. It's good that you have someone like that. It's incredibly important when you're going through something traumatic like this, because your life will never be the same, ever, and it's good that you have Kurt to be there for you,"

  
"What do you mean? After I'm in remission, I'll have a full recovery, won't I?"

  
"A lot of times, no. There's always the chance that it will come back within five years, and you don't just heal from chemo. You're essentially pumping poison into your blood, that's dangerous, and it's not something that can just be fixed. There's going to be long-term effects."

  
"Like what?" He swallows thickly. His doctor never told him any of this. This was all new to him, and he wasn't even sure if he wanted to know the details anymore.

  
"Blaine, you're having your stomach removed. You can't eat whatever you want anymore. There's a new diet, and it's going to take a lot of adjusting, and chemo varies for everyone," He shrugs. Seeing Blaine start to get distressed, he moves on. "Now, I wanna ask you something,"

  
"Okay," Blaine leans back in his chair, putting the last conversation in the back of his mind for the time being.He would talk to his doctor, or Google it later.

  
"Why didn't you tell the others about Kurt?"

  
"You're gay. You understand it's not easy. I don't wanna deal with homophobes," Blaine shrugs. The more he said those words, the dumber and dumber he felt for doing this. Not only was he shoving himself back in the closet, but also Kurt and it wasn't right. The therapist nods slowly, studying Blaine face before saying something.

  
"Blaine, this group of people is probably some of the most accepting people you'll ever meet-"

  
"Yeah, because Sadie calling me out, and Miles making me think that my boyfriend was leaving me means they're very accepting," Blaine scoffs, rolling his eyes. Marcus looks unimpressed, making Blaine shift uncomfortably under his gaze.

  
"Get over it," Marcus says simply. Blaine goes limp, his eyes going wide, and his eyes shift up the man in front of him. Blaine's speechless, he can't even form a word, so Marcus continues. "This just sounds like a bunch of excuses to me. You're scared, but you have no reason to be. For Christ sake Blaine, you're fighting cancer and you're worried about a few words a couple people said to you? Miles apologized, and you were fine yesterday, what happened since then? You're not the only one with problems, something happened to Sadie, and she took it out on you. No, it's not fair, but life isn't fair, and you know that better than anyone,"

  
Blaine swallows, his brow furrowing with what seemed to be realization and maybe a hint of guilt. The older man sighs heavily, shifting in his chair before continuing.

  
"They know that I'm queerer than a three dollar bill, and you don't see them making me uncomfortable at all. They love me, Damien, and our son, they don't treat us an ounce differently than anyone else,"

  
The former Wabler remains quiet, moving his eyes past his therapist and to the wall behind, where a ton of posters about cancer and how to deal with it were hanging on a bulletin board.

  
"Look, I'm not trying to out you, or make you feel uncomfortable, but I need you to believe me. I think this will lift one more thing from our shoulders, and you'll feel better about it. No more hiding who you are. You can talk freely about Kurt as much as you want in group. You can kiss him as many times as you please no matter where you are, because you aren't hiding from anyone, alright?" He waits for Blaine to nod his head, which is still a little hesitant. Marcus then sits back in his seat, crossing one leg over the other like before.

  
"You have to remember you're not the only one going through all this-"

  
"No, I think I am," Blaine says picking himself up in his chair and using his hands freely as he talked, with pent up rage. "No one else has chemo every morning, or pukes their guts out a day later from it, or is stuck in a hospital with no where else to go. Cooper didn't lose his hair, or spends most his days curled up under a blanket, because he's just too exhausted to move. My mom and dad don't even both to come see me. They just pay the bill, and pretend they only have one son, which means their lives haven't change much at all. My friends still get to go to Regionals and hopefully Nationals, and they get to actually go to classes instead of having to do everything online, with no one there to help you when you get stuck on a problem. I'm the one going through this, not them," Blaine snaps. When he's finished, he leans back against the cool metal of his chair. He says it all with only two breaths, needing to get out how he felt. His face was red from the long speel, but he feels a tad better after saying it all.

  
"Do you know how much they've given up for you? I know I sound like a broken record, but like you've said, Cooper gave up everything in LA for you. Kurt is giving up his junior year for you. Every single thing a normal high school kid gets to do, he misses out on, just like you. Not because he has to, but because he cares enough about you to do so. Stop throwing yourself a pity party, and accept what's happening, because everything's going to be a hell of a lot harder if you don't. A positive attitude-"

  
"Isn't going to fix me," Blaine finishes, shaking his head at his therapist. What is it with therapists and positive thinking. The brunette sighs, hanging his head down.

  
"No, but it plays a factor. If your head gives up, so will your body. The cancer can have your stomach, but it can't have your head,"

  
The singer's expressions softens, his shoulders relaxing.

  
"Promise me you won't let it have you head,"

  
"I promise," Blaine hesitates, nodding slowly. Marcus gives him a small smile.

  
"Good. Good," He's staring at his patient, with a small sense of pride. He clears his throat gruffly. "Now, tell me, you said you exploded on your brother, why?"

  
"I was frustrated. I'm set back again, and I'm just scared," Blaine admit sheepishly. Marcus nods.

  
"That's normal. Did you talk to him after the matter?"

  
"No, he hasn't really come to see me since then," Blaine's voice is small, as if he just turned back into a five year old boy again.

  
"Have you tried calling, or texting him yet?"

  
"No,"

  
"Why?"

  
"I didn't know if he wanted to see me, or hear me. I figured he was still mad at me,"

  
"I don't think he's mad at you," Marcus replies, studying Blaine's features, his brow furrowed with concern. Blaine looks up at him, confusion written on his face. "I think he's just hurt. You said some pretty hurtful things, and I think he doesn't know how to approach you anymore,"

  
"I didn't mean it though. I was just frustrated,"

  
"He doesn't know that though. You need to call him. Try talking to him about things. Try to get him to talk to you. If necessary, you can bring him in and we can have a sibling counseling session," He offers, making Blaine chuckle.

  
"Yeah, I don't think he'd be up for that. He never even talks to me how he feels. He says he's fine, but I don't think he's handling this all too well," Blaine admits, suddenly finding interest in his hands, that were covered with a thin layer of sweat from their previous conversation.

  
"Why do you say that?"

  
"He's not himself. Usually he's loud, and always boasting about who he is, and what he does, and he just doesn't anymore. It's weird," Blaine shrugs, shaking his head.  
"You're worried about him," It wasn't a question at all, but an observation. Considering the way Blaine's face fell at the talk of the possibility that his brother may not be okay, and the way he refused eye contact with Marcus, he was right.

  
"Yeah, how can I not be? Yeah, he left me a while back, but he's still my brother, and I still love him. I can't help it," Blaine shrugs, flicking his tongue over his teeth briefly.  
"Good. It's good that you care about him. You seem to be a very forgiving person, and that's good," Marcus nods, a small, but proud smirk on his lips. "Now, tell me more about Kurt. What makes him so special. Why do you lean on him so much?"

  
It was weird how they changed subjects so quickly, but they did only have an hour to talk, and there were a lot of things that needed to be covered. A large grin spreads across Blaine's lips at the mention of his boyfriend.

  
"He's perfect," Blaine says, still looking down his hands, this time to hide the small blush creeping up on his face. Which was normal whenever he talked about Kurt.  
"Why?"

  
"He's like my guardian angel. I feel like every time I feel horrible, Kurt knows exactly what to say. Like, he knows how to flip a switch in my head that makes me feel ten times better than I did before. We've been through a lot together too,"

  
"Like what?"

  
"Well, when we first met, he was going through some horrible things with a homophobe. A closeted one at that. He was shoving him into lockers and pushing him around. He stole his first kiss. It was suppose to be magical, and it was ripped away from him," A bubble of anger was already forming in Blaine's lower stomach, just at the thought of Dave touching Kurt at all, letting alone kissing him.

  
"These past two years have been difficult, not just with cancer, but with everything else that's happened, but we've always been with each other, pushing each other through everything, together,"

  
"What do you mean difficult?"

  
"Well, we met in our sophomore years, around November, but we didn't get together until Janurary. He missed his friends, so he eventually moved back, after his bully was....contained. Yeah, I guess you could say that," 'He's an animal anyway,' Blaine thinks to himself, deciding not to say it out loud. "Then a month later, I was able to convince my parents, and the Warblers to let me move schools with him. I surprised him, and then I joined their Glee Club. His step-brother and I didn't really get along at first. We fought a lot, and I was pushed to the back, ignored, treated differently. I tried to fit in, but they just didn't seem to want me very much,

  
"A month or so later, we got into a dispute with the Warbler's and I ended up getting a rock salt slushie to the eye. It scratched my cornea, and I had to have surgery, but Kurt was right there,"

  
"The Warblers? They're your friends though,"

  
"Yeah, they still are. All is forgiven, because it was really just Sebastian, Kurt still can't stand him," Blaine chuckles lightly, at the many arguments they've had. "He not only slushied me, but he also took us to a gay-" He stops, he probably shouldn't mention that they snuck into a gay bar. "Anyway, then we got into a fight over that, and ever since then, Kurt's hated him. Later in the year, Kurt was texting another boy, but we sang to each other, and things were better, because we realized just how little that other boy meant, and how much we mean to each other. That Summer, I was gone for most of it, because I had a job at Six Flags, and was gone for a good month and a half during the summer, it caused some strain, but it just made the first day of school more special," Blaine smiles at the memory of Blaine picking his boyfriend up in the middle of the hallway, and spinning him around, because it had been what felt like forever since they'd seen each other.

  
"How did your dad treat Kurt?" Marcus asks, a small smile on his face at Blaine's story. Blaine's smile instantly fades.

  
"I first introduced him as my friend, because Kurt was over when my dad was suppose to be out for the weekend. It took another month for me to admit that he was my boyfriend. He hit me, not hard, but just slapped me. Kurt wasn't there, but my mom managed to calm him down enough, and told me he was just worried I was going to get gay bashed again. I didn't believe her, but it made her feel better about it, so I left it. When he met Kurt, as my boyfriend, he came over for dinner, and things were tense, but no harsh words were thrown around, because when my dad is sober, he's just passive aggressive," Blaine explains, suddenly feeling uncomfortable once more. He hated talking about his father, absolutely despised it. Marcus was just nodding, absorbing the new information. Marcus opened his mouth to say something, but his watch had started buzzing.

  
"Oh, well, we're going to have to cut this short and continue next week, if you want," Marcus says, shutting the loud, annoying buzzing sound off on his watch by pressing a few buttons. "Our hour is up,"

  
"Okay, yeah," Blaine nods, getting to his feet.

  
"Do you want to come back next week?" Marcus asks, a small glint of hope in his heart, that Blaine will say yes. Blaine hesitates, taking in a deep breath, thinking of his options.  
"Yeah, I will," Blaine nods, a small smile on his face. Marcus's face breaks out into a happy grin.

  
"Awesome," He says, patting Blaine's shoulder. "Good. Well, I'll see you Thursday then,"

  
"Yeah," Blaine nods, his smile getting brighter at the excited grin on Marcus's face. Blaine gives him one last smile before turning out and leaving for the door, heading back to his room, a weight lifted from his shoulders.

 

 

He walked back to his room at his own leisure, not really having a schedule for once. He finished chemo early in the morning, and Kurt wouldn't be coming back for a few more hours because he was helping at the garage this week. The cancer patient stuffed his hands in his sweatpants pockets, looking around the halls, taking in his atmosphere for the first time, since he'd arrived here.

  
The hallway walls were a light cream color. Like any other hospital, there were florescent lights hanging above him, making everything seem brighter than it actually was. Inspirational quotes were hanging up all along the walls. Some were from Dr. Seuss, and others were from Isaac Newton, but all of them were from very famous people, that everyone knew. The floors were a pale grey, looking just as sterile as everything else in the hospital.

  
As he walked through the hallways, he noticed how some patients had decorated their windows with pictures, drawings, and posters, and some even had colored on the glass with markers, or paint. They must be very long term patients. Ones that have been here the longest, and have a slim chance of leaving any time soon, or at all. Blaine just hoped he'd never fall into the category.

  
There were quite a few people in the hallway. Few nurses, considering this is about the time when most people were getting chemo, but many patients talking to one another, or talking with their visitors.

  
Most the patients in the rooms were around his age, the youngest looking around thirteen. A boy, who looked new to it all. His room was empty, but an older woman was sitting in his room with him, brushing his still attached hair, behind his ear gently, tears in her eyes. Feeling like he was intruding, he moved on. He started to pick up his pace, but he stopped in his tracks when he came across Miles's room, his name being pasted in his window with light green construction paper, cut out into letters.

  
He smiles gently, about to walk in, but then he notices Lincoln was there too. Both of them were sitting at the side of his bed, both looking serious. Miles had an IV tube in his arm, probably his chemo needle. He was wearing what most patients did anymore, sweatpants and a t-shirt. Lincoln was beside him, wearing almost an identical styled outfit, only instead of a t shirt he wore a bulky sweater, and a beanie on his bald head. Lincoln was always pale, but he looked sicker today.

  
For someone who spends a lot of time in their hospital room, Miles's room is quite clean. The only trash being a couple Styrofoam cups sitting on his nightstand, and his bed sheets and blankets, pulled back, and ruffled at the bottom of the bed. His own comforter and blankets on his bed, a dark red, with matching pillow cases. Posters for various sports teams and bands were hung up, along with few pictures of family. The TV was on, but neither were paying attention to it.

  
Blaine hasn't even had time to decorate his room yet. Kurt had put up a couple of pictures of them and pictures of the Hummels and the Glee club, but other than that, nothing was personalized, not like Miles's room was, and how probably most patients' rooms were. He just hasn't had any time, or care to do it, despite Kurt trying to get him to do so, saying it would make him feel more at home.

  
Blaine doesn't go in, but he doesn't keep moving either, instead choosing to linger outside the doorway, curiosity killing him. He knew they were best friends, but things just seemed off with them right now.

 

"Lincoln-" Miles breathes, looking down at his lap. Lincoln shifts in his spot on the bed, a loud sniffle echoing down the hallway.

  
"Just listen to me, Miles," Lincoln sighs. Miles looks up to his best friend. Blaine couldn't see the look on his face, but he wishes he could. Miles nods for him to continues.  
"I know this is coming out of no where, but I've felt like this for a long time, a really long time, and I've always been too scared to say anything," He pauses, putting a hand on his friend's knee. Miles looks down at it, but doesn't say anything, letting Lincoln continue.

  
"After Blaine talked in support group, I couldn't help but feel he was right," Lincoln scoffs, finally looking up to meet Miles's gaze. Blaine swallows thickly. He doesn't know how to feel about his name being brought up in this conversation, but he is eaves dropping. So, he can't really say much about the subject.

  
"What do you mean?" Miles cocks his head to the side, a worried expression stuck in his brow.

  
"He said that we should tie up loose ends. Make sure everything is done. You know, with your surgery and everything coming up. I just needed to talk to you about this," Lincoln says, taking in a deep breath.

  
"Lincoln, I'm not following," Miles says casually, his voice, light with happiness. He sounded as oblivious as Blaine was with Kurt when they were back at Dalton.

  
"I care a lot about you," Lincoln blurts.

  
"I care about you too, Lincoln. Of course I do. I always have," Miles smiles gently. "I thought you knew that,"

  
"Of course I do. It's just-" Lincoln stops.

  
"Spit it out, man," Blaine whispers, hoping, no, praying this goes well, for Lincoln's sake. He was catching on, and he, himself was sweating with nerves for the boy, that he's become quite fond of over the past couple weeks.

  
"I don't just care about you like that. Not just in a best friend way, but in a....different way," Miles stares him for a few seconds, and Lincoln waits, to see if Miles catches on.  
"What?" Miles chuckles, "Dude, I care about you so much. You're like my rock, man," Miles smiles, with geniuine concern for his friend. Blaine's shoulders relax slightly.  
"Can I do something?" Lincoln asks cautiously.

  
"Of course. Don't have to ask, dude," Miles shrugs casually.

  
"Good," Lincoln breathes, staring into his friend's eyes for a few seconds before leaning in and capturing Miles's lip in a kiss, his hand leaving Miles's knee to cup his cheek. Blaine's eyes go wide, but Miles's eyes were wider, if that was even possible. They were kissing. 'Oh no.' Blaine thinks to himself, this didn't seem like it was going to end very well at all.

  
He didn't even know that Lincoln was into guys at all, but he was sure Miles wasn't. He had said he had a girlfriend, but then again, that didn't mean he didn't like dudes.   
After the shock wore off, Miles was pulling back.

  
"Lincoln, I didn't-"

  
"Oh my God," Lincoln shakes his head. "You didn't-"

  
"Lincoln, calm down," Miles says, seeing Lincoln's shoulders starting shaking with unshed tears and his breaths getting ragged and shallow. "I didn't know this is how you felt,"  
"I thought that you saying you cared about me, meant what I meant," Lincoln sighs, his cheeks quickly turning a deep shade of red.

  
"No, man, I meant that I care about you. You're like a brother you me and I'm not even into dudes," Miles defends.

  
"Oh god, I feel like an idiot," Lincoln shakes his head in embarrassment, tears starting to pool in his eyes and fall down his pale cheeks.

  
"No, Lincoln, this isn't your fault. I was so dumb. You should have just told me that's how you felt," Miles replies, going to put a hand on his best friend's shoulder, but Lincoln shakes it off, shaking his head quickly. He hastily gets up, starting out the door. "Lincoln! No, come back!" Miles goes to chase after him, but the chemo needle was stopping him from going very far. Running after your best friend with a needle in your arm didn't seem like a great idea, nor did it seem easy. Lincoln was almost to the door. He knew he should moved, but Blaine was frozen in place, just as shocked as Miles was.

  
At the sight of Blaine, Lincoln stops in his tracks.

  
"How long have you been standing there?" He asks, quickly wiping at his cheeks.

  
"If I tell you not long, will you even believe me?" Blaine asks, swallowing thickly.

  
"Oh God," Lincoln hangs his head, shaking it, and brushing past Blaine's shoulder, not really caring when he hit it on his way back to his room.

  
Lincoln has always seemed like the joker of the group, like he almost a tough guy. Seeing him cry and unravel like this was horrible. He's only known him for a couple weeks, but it still ripped Blaine's heart into two pieces to see him like this.

  
"Shit," Blaine looks up at Miles's repsonse.

  
"I'm sorry. I was just coming by, and you guys seemed hurt, and I-"

  
"Should I go after him?" Miles asks, sighing heavily.

  
"No, I would leave him for now. Let him settle with what just happened. He'll come around," Blaine gives him a small smile. Miles nods looking down at his lap before saying anything else.

  
"Good, because I really don't want to," He admit, guilt heavy in his voice. Blaine nods slowly. When he noticed Miles wasn't going to say anything else, Blaine continued on his way back to his own room, hoping that Lincoln wasn't too mad that he was eaves dropping and watching them, invading on a very personal moment.

 

 

-0-

 

 

"Guys, your dance moves are getting worse. If we wanna win Regionals, we have to get better," Mr. Schuester says from the front of the auditorium, dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt. Normal for a booty camp rehearsal.

  
"Mr. Schue, I feel like dancing around on stage isn't going to help us. We have three days until Regionals, I don't think we're going to magically improve," Quinn sighs, out of breath from practicing the routine. She crosses her arms over her plain white t-shirt, shaking her head with annoyance.

  
"Hey, don't be so negative," Mr. Schue scolds, point a sweaty finger towards her. Quinn rolls her eyes.

  
"If we wanna win this for Blaine, and make it to Nationals, we have to keep going," Sam says, his hands resting on his hips, also a bit out of breath from their elaborate routine. At the mention of Blaine, Quinn hangs her hands at her sides, shifting uncomfortably. Sam scrunches a brow at her.

  
She's been like this for awhile. Whenever they would talk about Blaine's progress, or lack of, Quinn would look down, scrolling through her phone. That, or she would look as if someone had just told her her puppy had been shot. Or, of course, avoid the subject all together, and try and get rehearsal started. Sam didn't think anyone else noticed, but he did, and it was driving him insane.

  
"Why do you do that?" Same blurts, eyeing her carefully.

  
"What?" Quinn asks, obviously playing dumb. She looks to her ex-boyfriend as if he just caught her stealing something.

  
"Every time Blaine gets brought up, you always act weird," Sam says, crossing his arms across his chest, and shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

  
"Whatever, Mr. Schue, can we keep going?" Quinn sighs, looking to her teacher, clearly with annoyance.

  
"Yeah, I-"

  
"No, I'm not dancing until you explain," Sam's been hitting it hard with Blaine ever since the school paper incident happened. He's been suspicious of everyone. Anything that even looked remotely sketchy, he was on, questioning it as if he was an actor on CSI.

  
When Artie was two minutes late to Glee club, Sam was on him, asking him if he'd been with Jacob, and if he had turned Blaine in. It took Mr. Schue and Finn to get him to lay off a little. He was starting to get hysterical, but he was determined to figure out who ratted Blaine out. Blaine was like a brother, and he wasn't about to give up on him any time soon.

  
"Calm down, psycho," Quinn mutters, rolling her jade green eyes at the blonde haired football player.

  
"We really need to start practicing again. We'll never win if we don't continue to work, Mr. Schue, can you please continue?" Rachel says. Everyone ignores her, and Finn takes over.

  
"No, I've noticed it too, please, explain," Finn shrugs. Sam smirks, happy to know he wasn't the only one who was looking out for their little hobbit of a friend.

  
"Speaking of Blaine, I'm suppose to be meeting him in a half hour, so can we please continue with the reahersal. Hash out your little fued somewhere else," Kurt huffs, his arms crossed over his jumpsuit.

  
"Don't you care about this, Kurt?" Sam asks, eyeing the boy carefully. Again, looking out for any strange behavior.

  
"Maybe booty camp isn't so bad," Santana mutters, clearly enjoying the drama within the group. She always has enjoyed it. She practically feeds off it.

  
"I should hit you for saying that, Sam," Kurt snaps, his brow knitted with anger, and his lip turned in disgust. Sam's facial expression goes soft, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

  
"Okay, guys, lets get back to-" Mr. Schue was cut off by Quinn once more.

  
"I did it," She blurts, swallowing thickly. The room goes silent, you could probably hear a pin drop. Everyone stopped moving, unable to.

  
"What?" Schuester freezes in his spot. Sam's large lips curl into a victorious smirk, and Kurt's eyes go wide with rage.

  
"What the hell is a matter with you?!" Kurt snaps, shaking his head with disgust. He scoffs, brushing past the cheerleader, making sure to hit her shoulder on his way out. He grabs his messenger bag from beside the stage, searching for his keys.

  
"Kurt, get back on the stage," Schuester orders.

  
"Not until she's gone," Kurt says, his jaw clenched tightly, and his nostrils flared, which always happened when he was upset.

  
"Kurt, we don't have time for-" Schue starts again.

  
"Don't! We are suppose to be beside each other through everything. I know that considering what's happened before, that means nothing to you, Schuester, but it means something to me, and I will NOT perform if she is on that stage with me. I am sick of being stomped on, even by our own glee club, and Blaine is where I draw the line. I'll come back when she doesn't," Kurt says, pointing at the Quinn as if she was poison.

  
"Kurt, you don't mean that, let me explain-"

  
"No, I will not listen to your sap story, about how you had no other choice, because I'm sick of hearing it. We get it you had a rough year, but everyone has, telling Jacob was stupid, and I don't care what pity party you wanna throw, because I don't wanna hear it," He snaps again at the cheerleader, not letting her get more than a few words out.

  
"Kurt-," She says pathetically.

  
"Don't, just don't," He finally finds the keys to his Navigator and hikes his bag strap over his shoulder before storming out of the auditorium, with Schuester calling after him, but giving up when the double doors slams with a loud thud, echoing against the walls. The choir teacher hangs his head, his hands resting on his hips.

  
"Why?" Finn asks, his face full of hurt. Quinn's loud, choked sobs fills the auditorium.

  
"I was jealous, I-"

  
"Jealous about what? That he has cancer and you don't?" Finn scoffs, shaking his head at the much shorter cheerleader. Quinn shakes her head, quickly wiping at her cheeks, trying not to ruin her mascara.

  
"Let her explain," Puck says, his arms crossed over his chest, just as interested as anyone else was. He just wished it was acceptable to hit a girl at this point. Puck and Blaine weren't best friends, but he was one of them, and that's all that mattered.

  
"No, there's no excuse that could make this okay," Sam scoffs, shaking his head, his upper lip turned with disgust for the girl. He looks at her up and down, as if trying to figure out what he ever saw in her.

  
"You can't do that!" Quinn defends, anger quickly taking over her body, and her voice rising with each word out of frustration.

  
"No, Puck's right. I wanna hear this too," Tina says quietly from the edge of the group, her eyes filled with interest, and a little bit of hope that Quinn didn't actually mean it.

  
"Thank you," Quinn says, sniffling back the tears that were starting to fall down her already reddened cheeks. She sucks in a deep breath before continuing. "Look, I had a baby last year. I'm not exactly popular anymore," She sighs heavily, shaking her head. Sam's mouth falls open with shock. She uses her fingertips to brush a piece of her bangs away from her face.

  
"Jacob said that he'd make sure that I would be on top again if I told him what was really going on with Blaine," Quinn explains, her voice going soft. "I know you guys wanna be accepted too. You-"

  
"Don't say that we would have done the same thing. Just, don't," Finn says, tears starting in her eyes. He expected more from her. "I thought you learned from the glist," He adds.

  
"Finn, I did. This is different," She says, shaking her head at the taller boy.

  
"I'm a cold hearted bitch, but what you did was a low blow," Santana says from her spot, leaning against the ballet bar, with Brittany beside her, who was nodding along with her girlfriend.

  
"What? Santana, you would have done the same thing I did and you know it," Quinn shoots back, choking on her voice.

  
"No, because you don't hurt one of your own. It's just a common rule. I know I may seem like a horrible person, but I care about hobbit just as much as anyone else," She pauses. "Don't ever repeat that, because I will deny it later," She eyes everyone carefully. Quinn shakes her head with disbelief.

  
"I can't believe you'd do this to one of our own, Quinn," Sam says softly, tears welling up in his eyes.

  
"Blaine's been nothing but good to you," Mike adds, shaking his head, his chin meeting his chest.

  
"I'm sorry. I didn't know it meant this much I-" Quinn tries, choking on her words.

  
"You did too know. That's why you did it. It's what you do, Quinn," Puck replies, who looked just as disgusted at Sam and Finn did.

  
"I'm sorry," Quinn tries again, holding a hand to her mouth, to try and stop her sobs.

  
"No you're not. You knew exactly what you were doing," Finn shakes his head.

  
"Look, I can't take it back. I don't understand what you want me to do here?"

  
"You should go, Quinn," Mr. Schue says, disappointment written all over his face.

  
"What?" Quinn snaps her head towards her teacher.

  
"I think it's best for the team,"

  
"Are you seriously choosing Kurt over me?" Quinn says her face scrunching up with tears. The choir teacher sighs heavily, hanging his head down.

  
"Kurt didn't betray us," Mercedes supplies for their speechless teacher. Mr. Schue nods with her, agreeing with her words.

  
"I didn't mean to hurt him, I-"

  
"Yeah you did. That's why you did it. You just don't care who you hurt, as long as you're at the top, it doesn't matter," Finn shrugs, shaking his head at the girl before him. The room is filled with silence once more, before Rachel speaks up. She swallows before saying anything.

  
"Mr. Schuester, as much as I agree with everyone else, we can't win with out Quinn. We just don't have enough time before Regionals to train someone else in her spot," Rachel says, her voice quiet, and not meeting Schue's eyes. Finn's shoulders fall with defeat.

  
"She's right," Artie says, hanging his head down.

  
"Okay, then after Regionals, you're done with Glee for now," Mr. Schuester says, bringing his head back up, tears in her eyes.

  
"You can't do this! I apologized! I-"

  
"Sometimes things can't be fixed with a simple apology," Mike snaps, his eyes squinted with hurt.

  
"I'm sorry, Quinn," Schue says again, shaking his head. "Finn's right. You'd bring down everyone else to put at top, and I just don't think that's healthy for the club right now. I'm trying to think of everyone's well being," He says simply. Quinn hangs her head down.

  
No one says anything as Quinn gathers her things from the wings of the stage, and saunters off, up through the seating and out of the auditorium.

  
"You did the right thing Mr. Schue," Sam says, walking over to pat the man on the shoulder.

  
"That was really hard," Schuester admits, shaking his head, and biting at his bottom lip. They all nod in understanding, and some just hang their heads down in defeat.

  
"It's what's best for us," Finn adds, a small smile grazing his lips. "We look out for each other," The man nods once more.

  
"Alright, why don't we take the rest of the day off, and we'll get back at it tomorrow. I think we all need time to think for awhile," Schuester offers. The members slowly nod. It took a few seconds for anyone to start moving again to grab their things to leave.

  
"That was intense," Finn whispers more to himself than anyone else. He picks up his bag, and hikes it over his shoulder.

  
"Don't you think we were a little harsh on her?" Artie asks, grabbing his water bottle, and taking a long drink. Tina shakes her head.

  
"No, because sometimes you have to be harsh to get a point across. If we just let her slip by, then she wouldn't have felt like she did anything wrong," She shrugs. Artie hangs his head, but eventually agrees with his friend.

  
"I just can't believe it was her," Rachel says, crossing her arms over her chest, feeling out of place on a stage for once. Everything happened so quickly.

  
"I'm not shocked," Santana says, her lips pursed. "She would take down her best friends if it meant she would get to the top. She's done it before," She adds, sighing heavily.

Brittany nods, lacing her fingers with Santana's. A few nod in agreement.

  
"What are we suppose to do about Nationals? We have to have twelve members," Rory speaks up, leaning against the wall, with his arms crossed over his chest and his bag lying limp at his feet.

  
"Hopefully she'll come to her senses by then, and figure out a way to make it up to Blaine," Finn says, his lips plants in a firm line. Rachel nods in agreement, for once in her life, speechless.

  
"Guys, let's go. Let's get out of here," Mr. Schue says, noticing the loitering students. A couple groan, but eventually climb their way up the auditorium steps and back to the parking lot.

  
"I'll see you later, Rachel," Finn smiles, pecking the much shorter girl on the lips.

  
"Okay, I love you," She smiles, wrapping her arms around the boy's neck, standing on her tip toes to reach him. Finn's smile widens, and he pecks her lips again.

  
"I love you too," He says back, brushing a couple pieces of dark hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear.

  
"Get a room," Puck murmurs, nudging Finn's shoulder on his way to his motorcycle. Finn chuckles, and instead just kisses Rachel again, making the girl giggle.

  
Sam walks past the three on his way to his car. It obviously wasn't a new one. A beat up, Volkswagen from the seventies, but it ran, so that's all that mattered. He was about to hop in when he saw Quinn was parked beside him. She looked like a mess.

  
Her blonde pigtails were falling out, and she shoulders were shaking with sobs, her cheeks stained a deep red from the tears. His heart aches a little for the girl. The football player knows he should just get in his car and leave, knowing she didn't deserve any sympathy yet. Everyone was still royally pissed at her, but he couldn't help himself. Against better judgement, he throws his bag in his own car, and opens up the passenger door to her red, expensive looking car.

  
She snaps her head up at the intruder, wiping furiously at her eyes.

 

"What do you want?" She asks, her voice filled with poison, and her upper lip turned with disgust.

  
"Are you alright?" Sam sighs heavily, he really didn't wanna be doing this. The blonde boy doesn't look at her though, instead he stares straight ahead, watching Tina and Mike say their rather affectionate goodbyes a few parking spaces away.

  
"Why do you care? Just like everyone else, you just spent the last twenty minutes yelling at me and telling me what a horrible person I am," She scoffs. Sam sighs heavily, hanging his head down. He reaches into the girl's glove compartment. "What are you doing?" She asks, clearly taken aback by the boy.

  
Sam just shakes his head, looking past a few things before finding the small, travel sized tissue package he was looking for. He hands a couple to her, and her shoulders relax.  
"How did you know those were in there?"

  
"We dated for a couple months. I remember you'd use them to clean up your lip gloss after a make-out session," He replies softly. She nods slowly, dabbing at her jade green eyes carefully. "Look, I hope you know what you did was wrong-"

  
"I get it okay? I'm a bad person. If you're here to tell me that again, just get out," She shakes her head, flipping down her mirror to check her mascara, that was a complete mess at this point.

  
"I just want you to remember how you feel right now,"

  
"Why? This is horrible,"

  
"Exactly, that way, you won't do this again. You know how bad it hurts to have people hurt you. So, stop it," He says shaking his head at the girl, sighing heavily. She stops, looking at Sam for a few seconds before continuing back to her task at hand.

  
"No one understands what it's like to be me," She says softly. "It's really hard. Having a reputation to up hold. It's sucks,"

  
"You ruined Blaine's by trying to bring yours up," Sam says. Quinn stops, flipping her mirror back up, with a slam.

  
"I told you, if you're-"

  
"Clearly, it needs to be said though, because I don't think we were getting anywhere. Blaine is our friend. He's done nothing to you! He's barely been here a year. He finds out he has cancer, and the first thing you do is tell the school newspaper. Do you now see anything wrong with that?"

  
"I said I was sorry,"

  
"Yeah, but I don't think you are," Sam finishes, looking at his ex up and down, before opening the door back up and leaving her alone.

 

 

-0-

 

 

"You need to come back to Glee club," Finn says, tossing the greasy rag in his hand aside and onto the desk. Kurt sighs heavily, biting back an eyeroll, and looking up at his step-brother, tearing his eyes from his phone. The much taller boy puts his hands on his hips, his eyebrows raised, but it was hard for Kurt to take him seriously considering he had a large mark of grease sitting on his temple.

  
A couple of Burt's worker needed time off, and took vacation days, so for the past week, he's been short on staff. Like usual, Kurt and Finn came in after school for a few hours and helped out around the garage.

  
"No," Kurt says sharply, shaking his head at his brother.

  
"Why? We can't win without you," Finn argues, using his best puppy dog face on him, which didn't seem to be helping his case.

  
"You know, I thought about it, but then I remembered Blaine's face when I told him it was Quinn," Kurt replies, setting his phone down on the desk in front of him, and crossing his arms over his coveralls.

  
"Was it that bad?" Finn's expression softens instantly, feeling guilty about it all.

  
"It wasn't like he didn't know it was going to be her, it was just hurt that, after all we've done for her, she tosses him aside like he's nothing, and betrays him like that," Kurt shrugs, sighing heavily. "He tried to pretend it didn't bother him, but it didn't take long for him to break down. I held him while he cried, but it was heart breaking. I was so angry at her, and I still am. It's just hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that it was one of our own,"

  
Finn nods. He was about to reply, when the phone in the office started ringing.

  
"You gonna get that?" Kurt asks, raising one eyebrow higher than the other. Finn rolls his eyes, but does leave so he can pick up the phone, seeing as Burt was busy under a car at the moment. Kurt smiles in victory and gets to his feet, heading over to the car Burt was working on.

  
"Hey kid, can you hand me a wrench real quick?" Burt asks, looking down to look at his son briefly, his hand going out instantly. His son nods going to the tool box and picking up the correct tool, handing it over to him. "Thanks," Burt adds.

  
"Yeah," Kurt sighs, leaning on the edge of the tool box casually.

  
"Burt! Phone!" Finn calls from the small office, sticking his head out the door. Burt groans loudly.

  
"I'm coming!" He calls sliding out from under the car, handing the now greasey wrench to Kurt to put away, before heading over to his other son.

  
"I'm gonna go make myself busy," Kurt says, quickly walking off before Finn can continue the previous conversation. The taller boy sighs heavily, rolling his eyes.

  
He's about to take Burt's position under the car, but he notices a familiar face walking up through the open garage door.

  
"Mr. Anderson?" Finn gets back up from his crouching position and goes up to the older man.

  
"Who are you?" James asks. He was clearly a little drunk. His hair was disheveled, and he smelled of alcohol and little bit of body odor. Almost as if he hasn't taken a shower in a day or so. His suit jacket was missing, and his tie was starting to come loose.

  
"Finn," The teen replies. At the man's still obvious confusion, he continues. "Finn Hudson, Blaine's friend,"

  
"Oh. This is Hummel's right?" He asks, putting his hands on his hips, and looking the taller teen up and down.

  
"Yeah, is something wrong with your car, Mr. Anderson?" Finn asks, trying to ignore the clear and sickening smell of whiskey on the man's breath.

  
"No, I need to know where Kurtis is," He replies, looking around for the familiar head full of auburn hair and porcelain skin. It clicks in Finn's head.

  
"He's not here," Finn's small, hopeful smile disappears, and his body goes into protective mode.

  
"Bullshit," James spats, pushing past Finn to get to the back of the garage.

  
"Mr. Anderson, you can't come back here!" Finn yells after him, starting after the man. He didn't know where Kurt was, but he really didn't want him to be found.

  
"You don't ever tell me what to do," James spin quickly on his heels, to crash into Finn, their chest colliding. Even if the teen had a couple inches on James, James was still intimidating. He just had this angry look on his face, that made you want to turn and run. Bloodshot eyes, and an angry look pressed into his face, as if it never changed.

  
"I think you should go," Finn says, his voice low, trying to out weigh him. They stare at each other for a few more seconds, before James turned back around. "Mr. Anderson!" Finn yells.

  
"Finn? Why are you yelling?" Kurt comes out from around the corner, wiping his hands on a used rag. All three of them freeze, before James's lips curl into a smirk, and Finn's mouth drops open, and Kurt's eyes go as wide as saucers.

  
"If he sees you, you need to run," Cooper's voice comes into Kurt's head, but the angry look on James's face made it almost impossible for him to move. By the time his head caught up to his feet, he was already being pushed into a wall by the business man, being held by his shirt.

  
"You!" James yells, getting into his face. Kurt takes a shaky breath, trying not to think about the strong smell of alcohol from his breath, and the way it made him either want to throw up, or cry.

  
"What do you want?" Kurt asks, swallowing thickly.

  
"You need to leave!" Finn shouts, going to put a hand on James's shoulder, but the man pushed Finn off him, never breaking eye contact with Kurt's light blue eyes. When Finn tries again the older man flicks out a nice, expensive, and sharpened switchblade from his pocket.

 

"You need to leave, not me!" James yells. "This-Faggot ruined my son's life," His voice is low and dangerous.

  
"Don't call him that. He's not your son," Kurt risks the insult, his lip turning up with disgust. James grunts, bringing the knife to Kurt's throat. 'This is really happening' Kurt thinks to himself. He goes stiff, quickly shutting his mouth.

  
"I'll kill you right here," Mr. Anderson threatens, his face only inches from Kurt's. Kurt swallows, feeling the cool metal against his throat. He closes his eyes, trying to calm himself down.

  
"Please, Mr. Anderson, just walk away. I'm begging you," Finn tries to reason, his hands up in front of him. James doesn't say anything. 'I need to get Burt,' Finn thinks, he slowly starts to make his way towards the office, where Burt was still in a phone call, but James quickly turned the knife of Finn.

  
"Don't," He says snapping his head towards the boy. The football player stops dead in his track and slowly turns back around. Finn nods, swallowing thickly.

  
"Okay,"

  
James slowly moves the knife back to Kurt's throat.

  
"I never want to see you again. My two options or beating you to a point you'll never recover, or slitting your throat," Mr. Anderson says, his eyes wide, and his pupils dilated from the alcohol. Kurt doesn't say anything. He doesn't know what to say.

  
"You're nothing, absolutely nothing. Blaine's just going through a phase, he doesn't love you. He doesn't even know what love is," Finn can't hear what Mr. Anderson is saying, given that his mouth was right beside Kurt's ear, but by the terrified look on Kurt's face, and the few tears dripping down his face, told him what ever he was saying was not pleasant.

  
"Stop," Kurt whispers, shutting his eyes when his voice cracks on the world.

  
"If I ever see you again, whether that be around Blaine, or just in town, I swear I will kill you," James whispers back. Kurt sniffles, trying to stay calm, but it was hard. Finn was staring, helpless, and scared, not knowing what to do. School didn't really teach you what to do when your brother's boyfriend's dad threatens your brother with a knife.

  
"What the hell is going on out here? Why aren't you guys-" Burt stops dead in tracks as he comes through the door. At the sight of his son being pinned against a wall, his eyes went wide with fury. He started towards the man, but he quickly sees the shining metal being held against his throat. "Who do you think you are?" Burt snaps.

  
"What?" James turns his head towards the mechanic, his brow furrowed.

  
"You're in my garage and you're currently holding a knife to my son's throat. Who the hell do you think you are?" Burt asks again, slowly inching towards the man.

  
"Your son is a fag,"

  
"If mine is, then so is yours," Burt replies sharply, his brows raised, still slowly walking towards.

  
"My son isn't gay,"

  
"I don't think we're talking about the same person, but that's okay, because you do not deserve a son like him, neither of your boys," Burt says, still walking towards the man, luckily James doesn't realize him.

  
"Shut up,"

  
"I will as soon as you take that knife away from my kid's throat," James remains silent. "If you don't, I'll call the police. You don't wanna go to jail," Again, James doesn't say anything, but he relaxes slightly. "If you don't, I'll kill you myself,"

  
Kurt takes a breath. Burt motions at Finn to go the office.

  
"Finn's calling them right now, I'll call him off as long as you step back," James takes in a breath, before reluctantly, pushing off Kurt, just knicking his throat, leaving a cut, but not deep enough to do more than draw a little blood. Kurt gasps, but sinks against the wall. James steps back, sticking the switchblade back into his slack's pocket and running a hand over his hair.

  
"Get out," Burt says darkly, his face scrunched with anger.

  
"My promise still remains," James says to Kurt, who was still frozen in his spot on the floor, clearly shaken up from what just happened. Mr. Anderson gives the boy and Burt one last look before spinning on his heels and leaving the garage, trying to fix his tie on his way out.

  
Burt's shoulders relax. He kneels down to his son, sitting across from him.

  
"Are you alright?" Burt asks, putting a hand on his knee.

  
"No," Kurt shakes his head, falling into his father's arms. Burt sighs heavily, wrapping his arms around him.

  
"Okay, come on, let's get you into the office, alright?" Kurt nods, taking his father's hand up and letting himself be led back to the office, where Finn was, phone in hand.   
"Thank you, Finn," Burt breathes, patting his back and setting Kurt down in one of the chair across from his desk. Finn just nods numbly. "Go close up the shop, will you?"  
"Yeah," Finn nods again, and gets up from his seat, shutting the door behind him on his way out.

  
"What do you need, Kurt?"

  
"I need to call Cooper,"

  
"Not Blaine?"

  
Kurt shakes his head.

  
"No, he doesn't need to worry about his father, but I need to talk to Cooper," Kurt says.

  
"Okay. Okay," Burt gets up from his kneeling position and grabs Kurt's bag from the side of the room, pulling out his phone and handing it to him. "I'll leave you alone then, okay?" Kurt sniffles and nods his head. The mechanic gets back to his feet, and leaves Kurt alone in the office, making sure to shut the door behind him, so he had some privacy.

  
"Are you alright, Finn?" Burt asks, walking over to the boy, who was just finishing up closing the shop.

  
"Fine," Finn replies, his brows furrowed and his eyes not meeting his step-father's.

  
"Finn?" Burt questions, crossing his arms over his chest, skeptical of the boy's answer.

  
"I'm sorry," Finn blurts.

  
"What?" He was not expecting an apology from the boy at all. He was expecting Finn to say he was shaken up or worried, not sorry.

  
"I didn't protect Kurt. I promised I would, and I froze. I didn't know what to do, I-" His breathing was getting heavier, and he was starting to hyperventilate.

  
"Finn, slow down. What do you mean?" Burt shakes his head, putting a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder.

  
"Kurt. He got hurt, and I was just standing there. It's my fault. I let him in the garage, I-I-" Finn stops.

  
"Kurt got a scratch, he's been through worse. He's just shaken up is all, and you did everything you could do without manhandling the man. This isn't your fault at all. You did exactly what I would have done, alright?" Burt promises, raising eyebrows, as if waiting for the boy to say okay.

  
"Yeah," Finn nods, looking down at the floor again.

  
"Good, look, Kurt doesn't need protecting, he can protect himself just fine, we just gotta watch over him when we have to. You're being the best brother you can possibly be with everything that's going on, okay?"

  
"Okay," Finn echoes, sniffling back a little.

  
"Alright, now, how about after Kurt gets off the phone, I'll take the two of you out to Breadstixs for dinner, alright? We'll swing by the hospital, and pick your mom up too,"   
The football player gets a small smile on his face and nods again. Burt returns the smile.

  
"Alright, go get changed," Burt nods off towards the locker room, and Finn heads off. Burt's smile disappears as soon as the boy's gone and he hangs his head down, putting his hands on his hips. This is too much.

 


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Miles Jameson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is a bit late, but it's here. I spent this past week trying to get my thoughts for this story organized, and I think I have that done pretty well now, and hopefully, things will flow a bit easier from now on. Please enjoy this one, and I hope that it's a bit of tear jerker for you. Enjoy and tell me what you thought in the comments!

Almost two hours later, and the four were sat in a booth at Breadstixs, meals ordered, and waiting to be recieved.

Kurt was clearly still shaken up from the exprience, and you could obviously tell that he had been crying. There was no point in even trying to hide it. The small knick on his throat was still obvious as well. Finn didn't know how to feel, and he just looked uncomfortble, shifting in his seat and he biting on his straw, leaning over the table as he did so, not making eye contact with anyone at the table. Carole had been filled in on the way here, and she was just confused as to why the police hadn't been called right away, but she thought better of saying anything about it. She didn't wanna upset Kurt or Burt anymore.

"Kurt, what do you want to do?" Burt blurts, once the waitress had collected their menues and went to put their order in.

"What?" Kurt looks up from his cup full of ice water to look up at his dad.

"This happened to you. You're an adult, what do you wanna do about this. We can't just leave it alone,"

"No, I wanna leave it alone. It wasn't that big of a deal," Kurt shrugs, curling in on himself, and sinking down in his seat.  
  
"Stop that. You had a knife to your throat," Burt replies. "I think we should get a restraining order against him. Get the police involved,"

"No way. Are you insane?" Kurt scoffs, shaking his head. "No cops. We're handling this ourselves,"

"Why?"

I'm not getting a restraining order against Blaine's father. What if he's there when I wanna see Blaine, or I wanna be around Blaine and can't because he's there. I'm not dealing with that. No, he needs to go to rehab instead,"

"Rehab? He needs a prison for all he's done," Burt retorts. Carole puts a hand over his arm to calm him down before his voice got any louder. The mechanic instantly relaxes under her touch.

"As much as I hate Mr. Anderson, and want him to go to jail, Blaine doesn't need to deal with that right now. He can't handle all of this at once. He's already sick and I'm worried about him. He needs to focus on getting better, not about a restraining order," Kurt replies, sinking down in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Kurt, he could have killed you today, and you just wanna let him go?"

"Yeah, for Blaine. Maybe we can admit him or something to rehab center. Talk to Pamela about it, but we're not sending him to prison. He could probably plea insanity anyway,"  
Kurt mumbles the last part under his breath.

"Honey, I don't think this is a good idea. I think we should go down to the police station right now, and get this sorted. You could have been seriously hurt, or worse, and then Blaine wouldn't be able to fight anything at all," Carole tries to reason, leaning over the table to put her hand over his.

"Look, I'm an adult and I can make my own decisions, and this is what I want," Kurt huffs, shaking Carole's hand off.

"You're seventeen-" Burt starts, but Kurt stops him.

"I'm seventeen and have been making my own decisions for years. I can make this one," Kurt says quickly snapping up in his seat, to get his point across.

"None of them were a life or death matter," Burt snaps.

"Doesn't matter," Kurt shrugs, leaning back. "It's my life, and I decide what happens. We talk to Pam and Cooper, and try to get him admitted. After everything's he's done, there's no way he can't be admitted," The teen adds.

"Dude, I don't know. That just seems like you're going on a whim," Finn replies, eyeing Kurt carefully.

"Finn, shut up," Kurt rolls his eyes at the boy, shaking his head.

"Why do you do that?" Burt asks, sighing heavily, clearly frustrated with his son.

"Do what?"

"Snap at other people. We're all just trying to help you, Kurt,"

"I don't need it," Kurt replies sharply, crossing his arms over his chest and pursing his lips. Burt shakes his head at his son, full of disappointment.

"Fine, I give up," Burt shakes his head. "But, if I see James anywhere near you again, I'm calling the cops and throwing his drunk ass in jail, got it?"

"Whatever," Kurt tries to pretend this isn't bothering him, but by the way he shifts in his seat, Burt knows he's worried and scared about everything that's going to happen. Burt rolls his eyes at his son.

"Adult, huh? I don't think adults act like that,"

"Are you really going to patronize me this entire time? Because, I'll leave. I was suppose to be with Blaine tonight, and I can always leave. I don't have to be here," Kurt snaps, his eyes narrowed, and his voice lowered.

"How do you plan on leaving?"   
"I'll call Cooper, or hell, even Rachel to come pick me up," Kurt replies. Burt shakes his head, but doesn't say anything, instead he just leans back in his seat as a waitress comes around, dropping off their orders. The teen sits back, feeling a little victorious from winning this argument, he usually never does.

"Do you want me to go with you to talk to them, or do not need me?" Burt asks, unrolling his silverware from the napkin and picking out the fork.

"Yeah, I guess. I'm gonna get Cooper to go to talk her too. Probably this week. I just wanna get it over with,"

"And I want you to be safe," Burt replies, stopping what he was doing to look at his son carefully. Kurt meets his gaze, hesitates, but nods at him eventually.

"I know,"

  
-0-

  
When Blaine walked in for his third round of group therapy, the air felt different, thicker. It felt as if his air supply was cut off as soon as he stepped through the doors. His smile instantly fades.

Everyone was there already, even Marcus, well almost everyone. Miles was missing. Blaine swallows, slowly sitting back into his usual seat.

Usually when he walked in, people were playing on their phones, or were talking to one another, and Marcus would usually burst in, almost late. Not today, today he was already sitting up front, looking as if he didn't receive much sleep the night before. Lincoln didn't look too much better. His eyes were red and puffy, and he looked as if he had just cried a river.

What happened?

Blaine eyes everyone carefully, all of them looking solemn.

"Well, everyone's here, why don't we get started?" Marcus sniffs, already trying to hold back his own tears.

"No, Miles isn't here yet," Blaine says softly, nodding towards the boy's empty seat. Everyone goes quiet and Marcus looks down at his hands.

"You didn't hear," Marcus takes in a deep breath.

"Hear what?" His heart started to race, and his eyes were starting to get wet with tears.

"Blaine, Miles passed away Tuesday night," Marcus's voice cracks on the last word. Blaine's face falls.

Marcus was still talking, but he couldn't hear him. He couldn't hear anything at all. It was all white noise to him. He swallows.

Miles is dead. He died at seventeen years old from brain cancer. How is that fair? Kids like them weren't suppose to get cancer, let alone die from it. He had his whole life ahead of him. He should have had years and years to look forward to. Why was he taken so prematurely?

Josie's broken sob is what breaks him out of his thoughts. Leo is instantly on his feet, wrapping his arms around the tiny girl, rubbing her back carefully. She hides her face in his sweater, gripping at it as if her life depended on it.

"Oh my god," Blaine slumps back in his chair.

"You didn't even know him," Sadie bites, shaking her head, her voice thick with tears.

"Sadie, not now," Marcus snaps, shaking his head at the young girl. Sadie rolls her eyes.

Blaine knows he didn't know Miles half as well as the others did, but he still liked him. He still considered him a friend. After Miles apologized, they talked quite a bit. Again, why is Sadie coming for him like this?

Knowing Miles died, sent Blaine's head into a frenzy, and gave his stomach a deep sinking feeling that he couldn't shake off.

"I thought he was getting better? He just had a surgery. What happened?" Blaine asks, tears starting to gather into his hazel eyes.

"They went into his brain on Sunday, and the tumor was too big. I guess for awhile, Miles had been feeling sick, and just didn't tell anyone, but that would explain why,"

"He was always so secritive," Leo chuckles lightly, sniffling back his own tears, Josie still being cradled in his arms. Marcus smiles lightly.

"Yeah, other's always came first," Marcus remembers the boy with fondness.

"I can't believe he's gone. He was my best friend," Lincoln lets out a sob, curling in on himself. Sadie's face falls and she quickly puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder, massaging gently. Blaine looks down on the floor. He doesn't know if they ever made up since the kiss, but a large part of his heart really hopes they did. If that happened with Sam, or one of his own friends, he wouldn't ever forgive himself. Hopefully, Lincoln's handling it better, but it doesn't really seem like it.

"I can't either, he was just here last week, sitting in that very chair," Leo sighs heavily, looking towards the empty seat, which would usually occupy the excitable teen.

"I never told him," Blaine whispers under his breath.

"What? Told him what?" Lincoln sniffles, looking up at the boy with interest. They also haven't talked since the kiss. Blaine thinks they're just going to ignore it, but he wishes they talked about it.

"I was going to tell everyone today, but it's too late," Blaine wipes at his cheeks, trying to get rid of the moisture and redness. "I'm gay. Kurt's my boyfriend, not some special friend," He's making an announcement, but his voice is quiet.

Nobody says anything, but Marcus grins at him, almost like a proud father.

"Oh," Lincoln's eyes go wide for a few seconds, but they eventually return to normal size, and he even relaxes a little into his folding chair. He must have had the same fear Blaine did when coming here.

"How did I not put that together?" Leo chuckles lightly, but he instantly stops, feeling like it was out of place. Not when they're mourning their friend's death. Blaine gives him an awkward smile and nods.

"I figured," Josie's voice is small, and muffled by Leo's sweater, but he can still hear her. The former Warbler looks up at the girl with a confused brow. "You got this look in your eye everytime you'd talk about him," She explains, her cheeks turning a light pink. A small smile grazes Blaine's features. She's right, everyone has told him that.

"Now, I want everyone to think for a minute. Miles was one of the most open people, and amazing kids I have ever met. He wouldn't want to be keeping any secrets between each other. What's one thing you've been too scared to admit to the group? Miles was always one to push these things and life's too short to keep it in. Cancer is unpredictable and anything can happen, don't hold things in,"

Everyone goes quiet for a second.

"Well, I gave mine," Blaine sniffs, wiping at his nose. Marcus nods in agreement, reaching over to pat his shoulder like a proud dad.

"I'm questioning my sexuality," Lincoln blurts, not meeting anyone's gaze. Marcus's eyes go wide with surprise.

"Good, that's good that you're open with this," Marcus smiles at the boy once the initial shock wears off.

"Really?"

"Of course, guys I don't know if you guys know this, but I'm gay and married to a man with a child from Thailand," Marcus admits, looking across to everyone.

"Since when?" Leo's mouth falls open.

"Married forteen years, gay since birth, and my son is three," Marcus chuckles at the boy, pulling a hankercheif from his back pocket and wiping at his eyes. The room laughs quietly.

"Well, I struggled with anorexia for five years," Josie says in her usual soft tone, still having her head resting on Leo's chest. Marcus smiles knowingly and everyone else looks a little shocked beside Sadie, who didn't look impressed. What is her problem?

"I thought the weight loss was from cancer," Leo looks down at the smaller girl.

"No, I only lost about six pounds since cancer started. I've always been tiny," Josie reply, giving the boy a small smile. Leo nods understandingly, but doesn't say anything else. "I used to wear weights when I would get weighed and used to feed my meals to the dog. I'm still not eating, so they want to give me a feeding tube,"

"It's not that bad," Blaine assures her. "It's just a little uncomfortable when you're trying to kiss your boyfriend," Blaine teases, earning a small giggle from the girl, ecspecially when he looks up at Leo, who's cheeks turn a light shade of pink.

"Well, since we're getting sappy, my brother killed himself right before I found out I had cancer, and after getting my diagnosis, I thought about joining him," Leo admits, his voice going quiet. Any trace of a smile of joy in the room disppeared instantly.

"Leo,-" Marcus starts.

"No, I'm okay now. I was just overwhelmed. I haven't thought about it since. It was just a thought was all," Leo says, giving the group a reassuring smile, but no one smiled. "I'll be okay. I feel better now," He assures them.

"The doctor gave me three months," Sadie says from the back, silent this entire time. Marcus looks down, having already known this information. This explains everything, including her rude behavior.

"Sadie, I-" Leo starts.

"I don't want your sympathy or some sappy story about how I'm going to be okay. I'm going to die, I get that, but I'm scared to die," She says letting out a sob, and looking down at her hands where they were playing with the hem of her white sweater.

"The fight's not over until you stop fighting," Blaine says, his voice hesitant.

"What?" Sadie shakes her head, tears pouring down her cheeks.

"After my first week of chemo, I had a rough weekend, and Kurt told me that, and it struck a nerve," Blaine says clearing his throat and shifting in his chair. He didn't know if their relationship was good, or where they stand, so he felt weird for saying anything at all. The girl starts to say something, but Marcus stops her.

"I like that, and you're right Blaine. I told her something similar last week. There are so many people who make it past their estimated life span. You just have to keep pushing through this. No, I'm not saying that you're going to make it out, but I'm saying it's worth a shot, because you matter, and so does your life," Marcus explains, dipping his head to make eye contact with the girl. Sadie nods hesitatantly, looking down at the floor as she did so. She moves in her chair uncomfortably,

"Yeah, let's move on," She mumbles.

"I think we should-"

"No, I'm done," Sadie replies, swallowing and looking at the floor again. Marcus sighs heavily, but nods eventually.

"Okay," He replies, his lips planted into a firm line.

"Thank you,"

"Alright, in Mile's memory, let's go around and share a memory we had with him. One we don't wanna let go, ever," Marcus suggests. The groups nods.

"Well, I remember when I first met him and we were in the entertainment room. I was sitting on the couch, watching some movie, and he came and sat right beside me and spoiled the ending of it for me," Leo chuckles, hanging his head down.

"What were you watching?" Marcus asks, a small, amused smile on his face.

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. He plopped himself down and said 'Dumbledore dies at the end'. I turned and looked at him and he was just watching the movie as if he didn't just ruin the next two hours," Leo laughs at the memory, shaking his head.

"That's so Miles," Lincoln laughs too, and Leo nods, agreeing with him.

"The first time I met him, I was playing solitare by myself, because I didn't know anyone, and my parent hadn't come visited me in awhile, and he sat across from me, gathered all my cards, shuffling them up, and asked me if I had ever played Spades," Lincoln hangs his head, his chin meeting his chest and his shoulders shaking with laughter.

"Whenever Miles saw anyone sitting alone, he would sit down right beside them, and do whatever he wanted. If he was in the room, he was your friend. He's been different these past few weeks," Leo's smile fades.

"It was the cancer," Sadie mumbles, everyone looks at her, and she curls in on herself.

"Yeah, it was," Marcus nods, agreeing with the girl.

"Well, my memory is from this summer," Sadie starts, clearing her throat. "We may or may not have skateboarded through the halls at three AM one night," Sadie chuckles, sending everyone else into a fit of laughter.

"That was you two?" Leo laughs. Sadie nods, covering her mouth with her hand, to try and cover up the giggles escaping her lips. "I didn't sleep a wink that night,"

"No one did," Josie chuckles, "That was only my second night here,"  
  
"Sorry?" Sadie says sarcastically, but she meant it in all good fun. Josie shakes her head playfully.

"I remember I had just gotten into a fight with my parents and I was sitting on one of the couches in the visiting room, which I swear he used to live in, and I was crying my eyes out. He came up and started making a ton of stupid jokes, and eventually it made me laugh,"

"Oh you don't know bad jokes, until you witnessed one of our dad-pun face offs," Lincoln chuckles, hanging his head.

"What?" Josie shakes her head, confused.

"We used to sit across from each other, and we would give each other the worst dad jokes that were so bad, you had to laugh, and who ever laughed first would lose," The teen explains, a grin on his face at the memory, but it quickly fades away when he realizes they would no longer happen. "I'll never be able to hear a pun with out thinking of him anymore," He sighs heavily. The mood shifts quickly. Blaine clears his throat out, about to speak.

"I didn't know him like you guys did. I wish I did, but I didn't, but I do remember after I ran out of here the first day, he came up to me in the visiting room, and he apologized. He looked so uncomortable, and he kept staring at my jeans for some reason," Blaine chuckles at the last part.

"Your jeans?"

"Yeah, they were bright yellow," The singer recalls. "Anyway, he shared something with me, and it explained everything and there was just something about him that I liked. I almost told him then that I was gay, but I was too scared. I think he knew though. The way he looked at me when I talked about Kurt, I think he knew it all along," He shrugs, a small smirk coming on his lips. Everyone nods, agreeing.

"Miles was really good at reading people," Sadie says, nodding her head.

"Well, a memory I have is from when he first came in. I was a little late and he was new to everything here. I ended up getting a lecture from him, and it was the funniest thing I've ever seen. It was all in good humor, but I knew there was something about this kid that I liked and I was right. He knew that I was gay. I was visiting the nurse's station where my husband was, and he came up on his skateboard casually. He says 'why didn't you introduce me to your boyfriend?' I told him I wasn't his boyfriend, and he looked at her hands and corrected himself. 'Sorry, husband,', I don't think I've ever blushed so hard, and Damien hasn't laughed that hard in awhile," Marcus recalls, a wide grin on his lips. Everyone smiles.

"That's Miles for you. He barely had a filter," Leo laughs. Everyone nods, agreeing, but soon the mood shifts once more, everyone turning sad.

"I want you guys to take a moment and realize how quick this happened, and promise me that you won't take life for advantage anymore. Cancer is unpredictable. You could be fine one day and sicker than a dog the next. Talk to everyone as if it's the last time," He looks to Blaine. "Fix things with your brother," He says pointing his fingers at the teen. Blaine nods numbly, knowing he needed to talk to his brother quickly.

"Okay," He says quietly.

"Good, remember what we talked about today, and don't stop living your life because he's gone. We have to keep going. You know that's what he would have wanted. He's not fighting anymore, and that's what's best. We now know he was hurting more than he was letting on, and promise that if you don't feel well, even if it seems trivial, you'll tell your doctor,"

Everyone mumbles, agreeing with what he was saying.

"Good, now I love you guys, and I'll see you next week," He gives the group one last smile before getting to his feet, opening his arms. Everyone stands joining the man in a small group hug.

"We love you too, Marcus," Lincoln says, resting his head on Sadie's shoulder.

"Good," Marcus nods, patting their backs before letting them go reluctantly.

"I'll see you guys next week," He turns around grabbing his things, and everyone starts to leave. Lincoln starts for the door, and he's already down the hall by the time Blaine catches up with him.

"Lincoln!" He calls, trying his best to catch up, and tugging on his shoulder slightly. Lincoln spins around, coming face to face with the boy. "Are you alright?" He asks, catching his breath, but trying not to make it look obvious. Lincoln goes to say he's fine, but he stops, shaking his head.

"No," He chokes out. Blaine sighs heavily, wrapping him in a hug.

"Do you wanna go talk or something?" Blaine asks. Lincoln nods. "Alright, let's go to the garden, alright?"

Lincoln nods numbly as Blaine leads the way, hoping he was right. He's only ever passed the garden, but never actually went to visit it.  
  
Just by walking past it, he knew it was pretty, but being in it was different. It was set up right in the middle of the ward, within a box of glass walls. A small stone path led off to a picnic table that was painted a cool, teal color. Flowers of all sorts filled the room, and there was a stone bench right beside a small fountain where a couple frogs were spitting water. He'd have to take Kurt back here soon.

Blaine leads Lincoln to the table and they sit across from each other.

"Did you talk to Miles after what happened this past weekend?" Blaine asks, once he notices that Lincoln wasn't going to start the conversation. Lincoln sighs heavily, hanging his head and shaking it.

"No, but I wish I did," Lincoln replies, sniffling back his tears, and wiping at his eyes with the sleeve of his hoodie. "He probably died thinking I was an idiot," He scoffs.

"No, no, no way. We all know that Miles was not that type of person. He was probably waiting for you to come back and talk to him. That or he didn't know what to say," Blaine comforts.

"He tried texting me a couple times and just said that we needed to talk, but I ignored it because I was too scared, and now it's too late. He's dead," Blaine cringes at how blunt he was, but doesn't say anything about it. He was right after all.

"Miles knew you cared about him. He also probably knew that you too scared," Blaine replies. "But, he didn't hate you,"

Lincoln nods, sighing heavily.

"I'm not gay," He blurts after a short silence, his eyes wide.

"Okay," Blaine agrees, nodding his head. It wasn't his business to tell him if he was gay or not. That was for Lincoln to figure out.

"Why doesn't-didn't Miles like me? I don't get it. Am I just not good enough?" Lincoln scoffs, shaking his head with disbelief.

"What?" Blaine's eyes go wide. "No! That has nothing to do with it. You're just not female enough," He chuckles lightly, but his jokes falls flat. "Miles just didn't like guys, and that's fine, it's just as normal as me being gay," The other boy nods, his eyes falling on a spot on the table, studying it carefully.

"I never even thought about guys until I met Miles, then my heart skipped beat," Lincoln sniffles. "God, I sound like the sappy, stupid girl in the romantic drama, except it doesn't end with me getting the guy," He mumbles the last part.

"You don't sound stupid. You're just confused. Just because you liked Miles it doesn't mean you're gay. You could be bisexual, or pansexual, or something like that,"

"Bisexual is for confused teens who don't wanna be gay," Lincoln retorts, rolling his eyes.

"Kurt used to say that too, but then we met Brittany, and trust me, she wasn't confused at all. Trust me,"

"You talk about Kurt a lot,"

"I know," Blaine says shyly, his cheeks turning a bright pink at that.

"It's not a bad thing, just an observation," He shrugs.

"Maybe you can talk to Marcus about all this?" The singer suggests. The other boy sighs heavily, looking off to the side.

"How did you know that you were gay?" Blaine's taken aback by the question at first, but knows it's just out of curiosity.

"I've never liked girls. I've always thought they were gross, even as a kid. My mom and dad just told me it would change when I got older, so I believed them. Then, on the first day of school of my sixth grade year, there was this boy named Jacob. He had grown up since elementary school, and all the girls noticed, and so did I. I figured it was just how you looked at you friends, so I blew it off. I started to notice more things though, and by the time I was in seventh grade, I realized I was staring the boys' chests in gym class, in the locker room, and that's when I realized I wasn't like the other boys. I was gay,"

"Oh,"

"Yeah," Blaine nods awkwardly, not really knowing what else to say.

"When did you come out?"

"Well, I came out to my brother first, but it was on accident. I had this journal that I wrote in, and my brother, being my older brother, went into my room and he found it. He saw the things I had written down and confronted me,"

"Then what happened?"

"He told me it was okay, but he started crying, and he gave me a bone-crushing hug that lasted for at least five minutes. He wasn't upset, he was just scared. Next was my mom, and it took her almost two years to come around. She told me it was just a phase, but then she eventually realized it wasn't, ecspecially after my eighth grade year,"

"Your dad?"

Blaine hesitates. He really didn't wanna scare Lincoln into not coming out for a long time and end up waiting until he was forty, already married to a woman with kids because he was scared to come out. If anything was going to scare it him, it was going to be this. Well, besides the Sadie Hawkins Dance.

"My dad beat me to hell," Blaine says simply, looking down at his hands. "I had a limp for the next few days, a busted lip, a crushed rib, and a black eye," He adds, sighing heavily. Lincoln's eyes go wide.

"What?"

"Yeah, but don't be afraid to come because of that. My dad's an alcoholic, abusive asshole. I'm sure your folks are different," Blaine assures him, reaching over to put a hand over his, just to make sure he knew not to worry. Lincoln eyes his hand, but Blaine doesn't retract it, and Lincoln doesn't shake it off. Instead, he nods in agreement.

"I'm already scared," He scoffs. "Not so much my family, because I don't care what they say, but my friends," Blaine goes silent, putting his hand back in his lap. "What about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"When you told you're friends, what'd they do?"

"Well, I came out at school, and I was gay bashed at a Sadie Hawkins Dance," Blaine says quietly, hoping he wouldn't have to repeat himself, but also hoping Lincoln didn't hear him.

"Is that why you moved to Dalton?"

"Yeah," Blaine nods. "I was in the hosptial for a few weeks, with so many injuries. It's a miracle that I didn't have to repeat that year of school," Blaine scoffs, shaking his head at the memory.

"Oh, wow,"

"Yeah," He repeats, nodding his head slowly. "That's not how it is all the time though. When Kurt came out at school, he was fine. Yeah, he got teased and bullied, but nothing like that. The worst one was a closet case anyway," He shrugs, dipping his head to meet Lincoln's gaze, who nods.

"I'm not gay though,"

"I know, and that's okay,"

"I don't think I'm ready to come out. I don't know what to come out as," Lincoln admits sheepishly, hanging his head with embarrassment.

"That's normal. You're still figuring out who you are. That's okay. There isn't a time clock on when you're allowed to come out, or who you have to come out to. You don't have to tell anyone, you know, once you do come out. There aren't rules on how to be gay,"

Lincoln nods again.

"Okay,"

"Are you okay?" Blaine asks, studying the boy's pale and fragile structure, a trace of fear on his face.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll be okay. I'll figure it all out," Lincoln nods, sighing heavily. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Blaine nods his head.

"If being gay is okay, why were you so scared to come out to us?" He looks up, sniffling back his tears, and meeting Blaine's hazel eyes, which were full of concern for the boy sitting in front of him.

"I was scared because homophobes scare me," He admits, shrugging his shoulders. He knew this going to come up, but he was just as confused about it as anyone else. "I just didn't wanna deal with cancer and homophobes, because I didn't know how anyone would react to it. I didn't wanna feel out of place in someplace I could be possible spending a few months in," He adds, shaking his head. In hindsight, he feels stupid for doing it. He wishes he told everyone before Miles passed away, but he thinks Miles knew anyway. Like every had said in group, Miles was good at picking up hints.

"Oh," Lincoln shift uncomfortably.

"No, it was stupid, don't be like me. Don't be afraid. I clearly had nothing to worry about. I spent hours worrying, when it turned out, no one cared," He chuckles lightly. Lincoln cracks a small smile.

"Thank you, Blaine," Lincoln's smile fades. "We weren't exactly the most welcoming group of people when you first arrived, but now we're your friends, alright?" He wipes at his eyes with his hoodie sleeve. The singer's heart warms and his smile widens.

"That's what I'm here for. It's what friends are for," Lincoln's smile returns. He opens his mouth to say something else, but his phone starts to go off. He pulls it from his hoodie pocket and looks at the screen, shutting off the annoying buzzing sound.

"Shit, I have to go. I have chemo in ten minues. I'll see you around alright?" Lincoln pulls out from the picnic table bench and pats Blaine's shoulder.

"Yeah, okay. Good luck," He smiles, which Lincoln returns before waving him off and leaving the boy alone. Blaine sighs heavily. He needs to get back to his own room as well. Cooper was suppose to be coming to see him today, and Kurt had Regionals today.

  
-0-

 

His pace was extremely slow when he was walking back to his room. He was nervous. Apologizing to Cooper and talking to him for the first time since their fight did not sound like something he wanted to do, but he knew he had to. The singer felt horrible for everything he had said. He didn't mean a single word, but a piece of him was worried that Cooper would get sick of his shit, and leave, which was the last thing he wanted.

Yes, Cooper could sometimes worry too much, but he cared, and that was more than his parents did for him. Yes, he was a little resentful towards the man because he did just up and leave after the Sadie Hawkins Dance, but he was still his brother and still cared about him with almost his whole heart.

When Blaine finally walked through his hospital room door, Cooper was sitting on the couch, looking just as nervous as Blaine felt. His phone was being slid through his fingers, and checked every so often.

"Hey," Blaine says quietly, shoving his hands in his sweat pants pockets and sauntering over to the man.

"Hey, Squirt," A small smile grazes his features. Blaine would smile back, but he could tell the smile was fake. Cooper was an actor, but he wasn't that good. For now, it goes ignored.

"I'm sorry," The younger Anderson shrugs, sighing heavily.

"I know," Cooper nods, his fake smile fading. "I just wanted to hear you say it. I know you're sorry, but I just wanted to make sure that you were serious,"

"Of course I am. Cooper you're my big brother," Blaine scoffs, his grin widening. Cooper doesn't return it.

"I left you," He shakes his head.

"I know," The Former Warbler's smile disappears. He stops in front of his brother, their eyes meeting each other.

"How did you forgive me?"

"I haven't," He scoffs in return, shrugging his shoulders, and pursing his lips. The room falls silent for a few more seconds. Cooper hangs his head down, tapping his fingertips together. "I don't even remember an apology,"

"I'm sure I've apologized for it," Cooper scoffs playfully, nodding his head. Blaine squints one eye, trying to remember, jokingly of course.

"I really don't remember one, but you can of course jog my memory by getting down on your hands and knees and grovelling for forgiveness," He teases, his smile growing when Cooper's does. His face quickly turns serious once more.

"I'm sorry. I really am. I know I screwed up, bad, and I'm so sorry, but I love you, Squirt. You're my little brother," Cooper looks up at the younger boy, his eyes starting to water slightly.

"And you're my big brother. My only big brother," Blaine emphasizes the word 'only'. "You'll forever be my only big brother too," He sighs, sitting down beside his said brother.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise,"

"You already have," Blaine replies, tilting his head to the side, and his smile widening. Cooper scrunches his brow, so he elaborates. "You've been here since day one. Even when I didn't want you here, you never left, because I needed you, even if I didn't know it at the time," Cooper blinks a few times, before sighing heavily and leaning over, wrapping the shorter boy in a tight hug, patting his back.

"I love you, Blaine,"

"I love you too Coop," He chuckles, hiding his face in Cooper's leather jacket. Blaine goes to let go, but his brother wouldn't let him, not ready yet. "Woah, are you alright?" He pulls back, sensing something was wrong. This time, the actor allows him, but he was wiping at his eye furiously. "Coop?" His face falls.

"I should tell you something," He clears his throat, wiping his hands over his jeans.

"Okay," He sucks in a deep breath, holding it. It felt as if Cooper was going to tell him he, himself had cancer too.

"A couple weeks ago, I went for an audition in Columbus,"

"Yeah, I remember," Blaine nods slowly.

"Well, right before you walked in, the director called me, and I got the role,"

"Cooper! That's awesome!" Blaine's face erupts into a large grin. "Awe, man! I'm so proud of you!" He chuckles, wrapping him in for another, brief hug. His brother is limp against him. "Wait, why are you as happy as I am?" He pauses, his face falling with worry.

"I have to move to New York to do it," Cooper replies, hanging his head down. "It's where they wanna shoot it," His voice is quiet as he speaks.

"Oh," Blaine nods slowly, now understanding. "You are going, right?"

"What?"

"Cooper, you need to go. Why wouldn't you go?" Blaine shakes his head with disbelief.

"I told you I wouldn't leave you, and I'm leaving you. I can't do that,"

"Yes, you can. You'll help me the most by leaving and doing this, okay?"

"Blaine, what about Mom and Dad, what about-"

"Don't worry about, Cooper. You have to take this offer and move to New York. It's gonna be what's best for you. Promise me you'll take this."

Cooper sighs heavily, leaning his head back and forth, as if deciding.

"This could start your career, really start it. You need to go!" Blaine exclaims, patting his shoulder lightly.

"Blaine-"

"No, stop right now. I won't have any of that shit. You're going and that's it," He laughs, a smile growing on his face. Cooper can't help it, and his face also erupts into an excited smile.

"Okay, yeah, I'll go,"

"Alright, just promise you'll call, alright?"

"I promise. I swear to God, I'll call everday, I'll-"

"Woah, maybe every other day," Blaine teases, nudging his shoulder, making Cooper's cheeks turn a light pink. Silence falls across the both of them, but it's comfortable this time. Smirks planted firmly on both their faces. "Let's go somewhere," Blaine blurts.

"What? I'm not breaking you out of a hospital, Blaine," Cooper says completely serious.

"No, I mean let's go for a walk or something. I feel like I spend all my time in this room," Blaine says, glaring at the four walls as if they had done something horrible to him, when really, they've been pretty good to him. Cooper's shoulders relax.

"Oh, yeah, okay," He nods, getting to his feet. Blaine's not far behind him. "Where are we going?" Cooper asks, slowing down so they were walking beside each other, instead of Cooper walking a few paces in front of him.

"You'll see," Blaine shrugs casually, shoving his hands inside his pockets and leading his brother down the halls. Cooper groans loudly.

"I hate surprises," He grunts, rolling his eyes.

"Well, good thing you don't have to wait long, because it's right here," Blaine replies, stepping inside what everyone calls the entertainment room.

It wasn't as large as the visitors room, but wasn't as small as the garden either.

A lot of patients were playing board games, and a couple were playing a game of pinball on the few arcade machines against the back wall. The center is where two couches were facing each other, and there were two person tables scattered around the room. Blaine's eyes were locked on the left wall though, where an old piano sat. It was a shiny black, but it looked as if it hadn't been touched in a few years. Blaine's considered playing it a few times, but he just didn't feel up to it, so instead, he waited for a good excuse and this was it.

"What are we doing here?" Cooper asks, looking around at the different people around the room. Even if there were quite a few people here, it seemed rather quiet considering the many patients.

"'The piano," Blaine nods towards the insturment, itching to let his finger roam over its ivory keys. When Cooper doesn't say anything, Blaine elabrorates. "Since you're leaving, and it's been awhile, we should sing a little something," He shrugs, sitting down on the bench.

"Won't we disturb these people?"

"Are you really giving up an opprotuinty to show off your talents? What have you done to my brother. I would like him back please, no matter how annoything he is," Blaine teases, shaking his head. Cooper scoffs, nudging the younger boy's shoulder.

"Alright, what do you have up your sleeve, Squirt?" Cooper sighs, leaning his elbow on the piano, and crossing his legs.

"I may have a little something," Blaine replies, "It may not be your style, but it's something I've wanted to do with you for a while now," He adds, taking in a deep breath, before cracking his knuckles and letting his finger hover over the keys. He plays a few notes to experiment before starting off in the right key and opening his mouth to sing the Louis Armstrong song.

_"I see trees of green,_   
_red roses too._   
_I see them bloom,_   
_for me and you._   
_And I think to myself,_   
_what a wonderful world."_

Cooper smiles, loving his brother's choice. He shakes his head at him, and gets to his feet, clearing out his throat.

_"I see skies of blue,_   
_And clouds of white._   
_The bright blessed day,_   
_The dark sacred night._   
_And I think to myself,_   
_What a wonderful world."_

Blaine's smile widens when his brother joins him. A few patients have turned to look at the pair, and a few have even stopped what they're doing, to enjoy the performance by the brothers.

It's been forever since they've sang together. They used to do it all the time, even if most of it was just Cooper critizing Blaine and critquing him.

_"The colors of the rainbow,_   
_So pretty in the sky._   
_Are also on the faces,_   
_Of people going by,_   
_I see friends shaking hands._   
_Saying, "How do you do?"_   
_They're really saying,_   
_"I love you"."_

A few more patients started to gather around the boys, but neither were paying attention. They were just having too much fun singing with each other, feeling nostalgic for the memories of them doing so when they were younger.

_"I hear babies cry,_   
_I watch them grow,_   
_They'll learn much more,_   
_Than I'll ever know._   
_And I think to myself,_   
_What a wonderful world."_   
_"Yes, I think to myself,_   
_What a wonderful world._   
_Oh yeah."_

They finish the song with smiles on their faces. When people started clapping is when they realized people were watching them. The pair turn around to look at everyone watching, before turning back to themselves and giving each other a wide smile, that ended in a hug.

"I'm gonna miss you," Blaine sighs heavily.

"I'll call, and video chat, and text, and visit, I promise," Cooper says, patting the boy's back carefully. Blaine smiles, letting out a heavy sigh. He always promised, but he never came through.

  
-0-

  
At the sound of footsteps, Blaine lifts his head from his book, only to see his boyfriend walking through the doorway, a small, but hesitant smile on his face.

"Hey, Baby," Blaine smiles, stuffing a bookmark blindly between its pages and setting it aside.

"Hey," Kurt's voice is small, and he has his arms folded across his chest. Something was off.

"What are you doing here? I thought you had dinner with your dad tonight," Blaine asks. Kurt sighs heavily, still not moving from his place against the door frame. Blaine's smile disappears. Something was wrong.

"I missed you, I feel like it's been awhile," Blaine says softly, trying to keep his smile, but it wasn't working one bit.

"Don't be a stranger, come in, sit," He offers, patting the empty seat on the couch beside him. Kurt nods slowly, making his way in, his footsteps soft against the tile. The shorter boy scrunches his eyebrows together, but reaches for Kurt's hand anyway, it's soft, but sweaty.

"Kurt," Blaine breathes, tugging on his arm to capture his lips in a kiss, he doesn't kiss back. "Kurt, what's going on," His lips taste different, salty. His breathing picks up.

"Blaine," Kurt lets out. He hesitantly sits beside him, tucking his hands on his lap, removing his hand from Blaine's, who swallows. What was going on.

"Kurt, what happened? What's going on?" He turns to face his boyfriend, going to put a hand on his knee, but Kurt scoots away. His heart practically break in million pieces, but he pretends it doesn't hurt at all, which was easier said than done. "Kurt?" It's a small whimper, if Kurt wasn't sitting so close, he wouldn't have heard it all.

"I can't do this," Kurt says in one breath, hanging his head down.

"What? Do what? What are you talking about?" His breath picks up at his words, and tears were gathering in his hazel eyes.

"This. I can't be with you anymore, Blaine," Kurt swallows thickly.

The world practically crumbles at his words. Kurt was leaving. Everyone was right. This was too much for him, and he just couldn't handle it. What was he suppose to do with out Kurt? Kurt was his rock, his everything, how was he supposed to continue? He feels as if he's floating, as if none of this was real, like he would wake up any second, but he doesn't. This is too real for him.

"What? Why?" Blaine lets out a short, choked sob.

"I feel like I'm suffocating anymore. I'm not cut out for all this, Blaine," He's not even looking at him, and it's making Blaine want to throw a table. Blaine searches for any kind of remorse, or tears, but he sees none. He's one hundred percent stoic through all this.

"Are you breaking up with me?"

"I'm sorry," Kurt says, shaking his head.

"No, you're not. You're not even looking at me! Look at me dammit!" Blaine screeches, tears now pouring down his cheek rapidly. It takes a few seconds before Kurt can look up at the teen. His eyes read nothing. As if the last almost two year just didn't mean anything to him. "Oh my God," Blaine throws his head in his hands, letting out a loud sob.

"I should go," Kurt says, getting back to his feet and starting for the door, but Blaine tugs on his arm.

"No, please, don't go. I can't do this with out you, Kurt," Blaine cries. Kurt looks down at their conjoined hands but doesn't say anything. "Please don't leave me," He adds, his voice just above a whisper. "I love you,"

A flash of regret comes over Kurt's face, but he shakes Blaine's hand off, looking at him up and down one more time.

"I'm sorry," He says quietly, before biting his bottom lip, and leaving Blaine alone to sob loudly, his cries echoing through the empty hospital room.

 

Blaine wakes with a start, sitting up instantly. His breathing is hard, and his room is one hundred percent dark. He looks down on himself, sweat covering his entire body. He had fallen asleep with a hoodie because he's always freezing, but tonight he felt trapped in his own body. He touches his chest, noticing his sheets were thrown across his bed, and tangled at his ankles.

It had to of been a nightmare. The singer turns his head towards the door. Everyone was still making their nightly rounds and a few nurses were standing around the nurses' station right outside his door. He falls back against his pillows, letting his hands rest over his sweaty forehead. As soon as he lets out a deep breath, he falls into a stream hysterical, choked sobs.

The first thing he does is reach over for his phone, dialing a very familiar number. He needed to hear his voice. It takes almost double the rings it usually takes before Kurt's groggy morning voice is filling his ears.

"Hello?" Kurt yawns into his phone.

"Please don't ever leave me," Blaine cries out, sucking in a choked breath and sitting up, bringing his sheets up to his chin.

"Blaine? What's wrong? What's going on?" He sounds a tad bit more awake, but he still had that groggy thing, that would usually bring a smile to Blaine's face. He was not in a state for smiling though.

"I had a nightmare again," Blaine admits, rolling over on his and talking to his boyfriend.

"Another one?" Kurt asks, yawning a little. There was a shuffle of blankets over the speaker, and Blaine can just imagine him doing the same as himself.

Ever since he's arrived at the hospital, he's had nightmares periodically, but since Miles had passed away a few days ago, it was becoming natural. When he first told Kurt, he had cried in his arms for at least an hour before he fell asleep in his boyfriend's lap. He awoke from a nightmare though just a few hours later, and it took another half hour for Kurt to calm him down enough to talk about it.

"I'm sorry," Blaine breathes out.

"For what?"

"Calling you this late. I'm sorry, I know it's late and you have school and-"

"Stop it. I told you I'd do anything for you, at any time at all, and I intend to keep that promise. I don't mind one bit, Sweetheart," He can practically hear the smile on his face, even if it is a sleepy one. The former Warbler can't help but smile hearing those words. His shoulders relax just slightly.

"What was it about this time, Honey?"

Blaine hesitates.

"You left me. Everyone was right, and you left me," He says in one breath, his lip quivering at the thought of Kurt walking out of his life. The other end goes silent, and it makes Blaine's heart stop. There's a long, deep breath, before Kurt talks again, but this time his voice is thick with emotion.

"I could never do that to you, B. I could never just walk out on you. I intend on marrying you and moving to New York with you, having kids with you, and growing old with you. Okay?" Kurt promises. Blaine nods, even though Kurt can't see it and lets out a small hum in response. He doesn't think he could even make out a word at this point. "What can I do for you, Baby?" Kurt coos.

"Tell me you love me," Blaine chuckles a little, which Kurt returns.

"Of course. I love you so much, Blaine Anderson, that sometimes it hurts, but it's all worth it, because I can't picture my life with out you in it," Kurt says, and he can only picture the smile on his face.

"I love you too," Blaine breathes, nuzzling his nose against his pillow.

"Anything else?"

"Stay on the line until I fall asleep?"

"Anything for you," Kurt promises.

 

-0-

 

"I don't wanna do this," Kurt sighs heavily, undoing his seat belt, and staring at the Anderson's front door, which was probably one of the prettiest front doors Kurt has ever seen in his life.

The Anderson's had a rather large home, considering how much money Blaine's parents made, but it was still stunning to Kurt, and it probably always would be. It was two stories, but also had a nook on the third floor. Their dining room was almost as big as the Hummel's entire first floor, and their kitchen was a kitchen Carole would kill to cook in. Pam didn't even cook, so it was almost ridiculous they even had the gourmet kitchen. They only one that even made anything in that kitchen was Blaine, and occasionally Kurt when they would have a sleepover together.

"I know," Burt says, reaching over to pat his son's shoulder.

"Let's just not do it. It's not worth it," Kurt shrugs. "You can pull out of the driveway now," Kurt turns his head towards his dad when he makes no movement to leave.

"No, we have to do something with him. He can't keep going through this. Something needs to happen, and this is the first step," Burt replies, giving his son his best 'dad look'. Kurt groans, but nods reluctantly.

"Okay," He says, unlocking his door and stepping out into the rain. Burt gives his son one last pat before following him up the steps and under the roofed front porch, where they were safe from the pelting rain. When Kurt makes no move to knock on the door, Burt knocks for him. It takes a little while for anyone to answer, but it when the door did open it was Cooper. His usual smirk is nonexistent, knowing why the Hummels were here today. When Kurt called him the day he was pinned to the wall, he told Cooper what he wanted to do, and Cooper agreed he'd try and help persuade his mom into getting James into rehab.

"Hey," Cooper greets, as Burt holds out his hand for a firm shake.

"Hey, Cooper," Burt smiles. The Anderson brother steps aside, for the pair to come in.

"Mom's already in the dining room," Cooper says, shutting the heavy door behind them, and the Hummels remove their jackets. "It's this way," He points over to the large room, to the right of the kitchen. The two nod and follow the brother through the archway.

As promised, Pam was already sitting at the table, her nose in a magazine and a mug in her hand, the string to a tea bag sticking out of the side.

"Mom," Cooper clears his throat. "The Hummel's are here,"

This all felt too formal for Kurt's liking. Cooper was usually cracking jokes, but he acted different around his parents. It was something Kurt was picking up on. Both of the Anderson brothers acted as if they were talking to a couple of teachers, or if they were only the assistants to the couple.

Pam looks up from her fashion magazine an up at the pair.

"Oh, hello!" She greets, getting to her feet to give Burt a strong hug, and Kurt one as well after setting her mug back down on the cherry wood table.

"Hi, Mrs. Anderson," Kurt smiles, ignoring the faint smell of what seemed to be vodka on her breath. She must have been prepping for this conversation today.

"Please, sit," She offers, smoothing out her royal blue skirt before returning to her seat. The two nod and take the empty seats across from her, while Cooper takes the one beside his mother. "So, how have you two been?"

"Oh, we're good, Mrs. Anderson, and yourself?" Kurt answers. This was going to be a long night.

"I'm great," She replies enthusastically. 'I'm sure you are' Kurt thinks to himself, but he decides to keep that to himself. "How's Blaine? You went and seen him today, right?" Kurt's face falls. Yeah, she was definentley drunk. Great.

"Blaine's doing well, you know considering everything that's happened these past few days,"

"What's happened? It's been a couple weeks since I've seen him," Wow, Cooper wasn't kidding when he said Pam wasn't going to see her son. Kurt's heart aches a little for Blaine. There was nothing right about that.

"One of his support group friends passed away this week, but he's handling it pretty well," Kurt assures her, looking to Cooper, who looked as if he wanted to smash his head against the table. Burt wasn't that much different, but he was just a little confused as to why Pam hadn't gone and seen Blaine, or even tried to call or text him. If it was Kurt in Blaine's shoes, you'd have to physically rip Burt from the hospital before he left his boy alone like that.

"That's just too bad," She says, shaking her head, but there wasn't even a hint of remorse in her eyes. Kurt squints his own eyes, trying to figure out how to approach this. Pam sighs heavily, pouring herself another cup of tea, which they were all sure had some kind of alcohol in it.

"Well, Mrs. Anderson, we wanted to come and talk to you about something," Burt says, knowing Kurt wasn't going to bring it up himself. Pam goes stiff.

"What's that?" She plants a smiles on her face, drinking from her mug.

"Your husband," Burt replies.

"Do you guys want something to drink. Ugh, I'm such a bad hostess," She goes to get up, but Cooper puts a hand on her shoulder.

"Mom, please," He begs. She looks at her son for a few seconds, before slowly sitting back down in her chair, and clearing her throat.

"After what happened at the garage, something needs to happen," Burt says.

"What? What happened?"

"You didn't tell her, Cooper?" Kurt looks to the older Anderson brother, who shrugs sheepishly.

"Mom, this week, Dad went to the Hummel's garage and threatened Kurt with a knife, and threatened his life," Cooper quickly fills in. Pam sighs heavily, hanging her head down.

"Okay," She nods, clearing her own throat out and shifting in her seat. The three men exchange a look, before Burt spoke up once more. That was not the response they were expecting. It was weird.

"I wanted to call the cops, but Kurt wouldn't let me," Burt replies, the father-son duo make eye contact, which Kurt quickly looks away from, shifting uncomfortably. Pam's eyes go wide.

"What? No! You will not call the police on my husband," She shakes her head with disbelief.

"I didn't, and don't plan on it, but I will if it happens again," Burt replies. "The only reason I didn't this time, was because of Kurt, he had a different idea," He adds, nodding towards his son. All three heads turns towards the teen. Cooper knew his plan, but Pam didn't, and she was the one that was going to have to convince him to go, or force him to go if necessary.

"I'm not suggesting this because I give a damn about Mr. Anderson, but because I care about Blaine. He shouldn't have to go through cancer and a court case between his father and boyfriend, so I suggest we put him in rehab," He says, his voice going small at the end, scared Pam was going to turn it down instantly. She remains silent.

"Mom, look, Dad can't do this anymore. He's a drunken asshole, and something needs to happen, I won't be here for very much longer, and there's no way Blaine will be able to fight him off if something happens, and it's not fair to Hummel's either, I-" Cooper's cut off by the woman herself.

"Okay," She nods, sniffling a little. She wipes at her nose and at the under bags of her eyes.

"What?" Cooper looks between his mother and Kurt, who was just as surprised as himself.

"You're dad is a good person, and he has a problem, and this might be the only solution left," She agrees, still not looking up at the three men at the table. Kurt tries not to scoff at the mention of him being a good person, but he left it alone.

"Okay, that was easier than I thought," Cooper mumbles the last part. "Next question is how we're supposed to get him there?"

"Well, we have to get him to say yes," Kurt says.

"No necessrily. A new law passed in Ohio, where we can be admited unwillingly, if it's necessary, so if we can't get him to go by himself, family members can admit him themselves," Burt adds.

"We just have to find him then," Cooper mutters under his breath.

"What do you mean you have to find him?" Kurt's eyes go wide with fear. "How do you not know where he is? Doesn't he come home?" He was panicking. Cooper sighs heavily before repsonding.

"No, we haven't seen him since the garage incident. He hasn't even come home at all,"

"We think he's staying in a hotel or with a friend, because he's still showing up to work," Pam replies, her voice thick with emotion. Kurt sucks in a deep breath. Great, this was just great.

"Oh," He breathes, leaning back in his chair.

"He has to come home at some point," Cooper adds quickly, trying to reassure to teen.

"Why? He obviously doesn't have anything for him here," As soon as the words left Kurt's mouth, he instantly regretted it, ecspecially when he saw Mrs. Anderson go stiff. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"No, you're fine," Pam assures him, forcing a smile on her face. Kurt nods numbly, not quite believing her and isntantly feeling horrible for what he said.

"Within the next couple weeks he should show up. He usually does when he goes ghost," Cooper says, clearing throat through the awkwardness.

"He's done this before?" Burt questions.

"Yeah, of course he has. It usually takes less than a month for him to show up," Cooper adds. Kurt can't help but wish he was just die in a sewer or an alleyway, but that was wishful thinking.

"Have you tried calling him?" Kurt asks.

"Yeah, but he never answers, just goes straight to voicemail," He sighs heavily, leaning back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the polished, wood table.

"Great," Kurt breaths, looking down at his hands folded in his lap.

"Hey, don't worry, we'll figure this out. If he's not around, maybe it's a good thing," Cooper assures him, leaning forward, and dipping his head to meet Kurt's blue eyes. Kurt nods slowly, swallowing his tears back.

"Well, I hate to cut this meeting short, but I have my own meeting to attend to, Cooper will you walk them out?" Pam says, looking to her son. Cooper scrunches his brow, but nods anyway. Who had a meeting on a Saturday?

Burt and Kurt get to their feet, just as Pam does, only she leaves the room, heading up the grand staircase.

"I'm sorry. Whenever my dad is brought up now days, she gets weird," Cooper shakes his head.

"No, you're fine," Kurt assures him. Cooper nods, knowing he was only being sympathetic, but he didn't say anything, and instead leads them out towards the kitchen once more.

"We'll figure this all out, okay, Kurt? I'm just as worried about Blaine as you guys are, and I'm worried about you too," Cooper says, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. Kurt's shoulders relax slightly.

"Thanks Coop," He says, as Cooper bringing him in for a tight hug, patting his back gently.

"You're like a little brother to me now," He shrugs, a smile planted firmly on his face.

"So, when do you leave for New York?" Kurt asks, pulling back from the embrace.

"Tomorrow. Shooting starts Monday," Cooper replies, unable to help the small smile forming on his face.

"You're gonna do great," Kurt says, a bright smile on his face. The actor's smile grows.

"Thanks, Kurt," He lets out a deep breath.

"Well, if you ever need anything Cooper, you know we'll always be here for you, because you're family too," Burt promises, patting Cooper's shoulder, making him chuckle.

"Thank you, guys, so much. For everything," Cooper scoffs. "For taking care of not only Blaine, but me too. Opening your arms for us, it means to world to us,"

"We enjoy doing it. You guys are good people," Burt assures him. Cooper ducks his head sheepishly. "Alright, come on, Kurt, we'll be late for dinner if we don't move now. Then Carole will us both," Burt sighs heavily.

"Right," Kurt nods, pulling Cooper in for one last hug, before making a turn for the door. Burt wraps the actor in for a hug too, which warms Cooper's heart, before both of them were gone and into the rain once more.

 


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, it's not Christmas, but due to the timeline, I needed a Christmas chapter, because as you know, I'm trying to make this as realistic as possible. I've been home only for a little bit this past week, so that's why it's a little bit late, and I had to write over half the chapter in a day, and this is a twelve thousand word chapter. It's the longest one yet, but you understand why it took my a little bit longer, and lack of time. Things will stop being this fluffy next chapter, and things will start to focus more on cancer after the next chapter or so, so enjoy this one. Tell me what you think in the comments, good or bad, because I wanna know. Thank you for reading this, and there is more to come!

"I feel horrible," Blaine moans from his bed, cuddling up to his pillow, his Christmas movie now ignored. Even with his heavy, black hoodie, sweatpants and long t-shirt, he was freezing. To be fair, his left sleeve was pulled up so his chemo needle could be pushed in, allowing a chilling breeze to cover his pal skin. He was down to his last hour and a half, but he was starting to feel sick. He didn't know if it was because of the chemo, or because he didn't sleep more than a couple hours the night prior, due to another nightmare. This time he didn't call Kurt like he should have. He just cried for a few hours before he wore himself out enough to fall asleep for another hour before Damien was coming in with his chemo treatment.

  
"I know you do, that's why I'm hanging up the fairy lights," Kurt teases, stepping down from the chair, and admiring the new splash of color hanging from the ceiling in the form of bright, white Christmas lights.

  
"You know what I mean," Blaine grumbles, rolling over on his back, trying not to jostle his arm too much. "I told you I'd do this with you, because you know how much I love decorating with you," He pouts.

  
"I know. I know how much you love Christmas too, but it's okay not to feel okay, it's normal," Kurt sighs heavily, walking over to his boyfriend's bed and sitting on the edge of the bed, slipping his hand in his own. "We've been putting this off for at least two weeks, and I don't want you to stay in a boring, ol' hospital room with no decorations when it's only a few days before Christmas," Kurt replies, staring into Blaine's hazel eyes. It never took long for him to get lost in them. Blaine sighs heavily, looking down at their conjoined hands.

 

"How did I get so lucky to have someone like you in my life?"

  
"That's a really good question, because I have no idea," Kurt teases, leaning down to place a quick kiss on his awaiting lips. "You feel any better?" Kurt asks, his face turning serious and pulling away slightly, but a hand still remaining on Blaine's chest. The boy shrugs.

  
"A little. I still feel like I might throw up," Blaine sighs heavily, his smile faltering, turning his attention back to his fingers, playing with Kurt's as he did so.

  
"What'd the doctor say?" Kurt asks, his gaze not leaving Blaine's sunken in, and pale face. He shrugs.

  
"He put me on some medication, but it doesn't really seem to help," Blaine replies, sighing heavily.

  
"You need to tell him,"

  
"It's fine,"

  
"Blaine-"

  
"Go hang up more decorations so I can stare at your butt some more," Blaine teases. It was too close to Christmas, he didn't wanna talk about cancer until after the twenty-fifth, so he was going to avoid it at all costs. Kurt could tell by his face that he didn't wanna talk, so he just smiled teasingly and stood up.

  
"My ass does look amazing in these jeans," He sighs, shaking his hips a little to show off the bright red jeans that were sinfully tight on him. Blaine laughs, rolling over on his side, so he could watch Kurt dig into the small box full of decorations.

  
"What are you doing for Christmas?" Blaine asks, a smile still evident on his face.

  
"I'll be here," Kurt shrugs casually, pulling out a green and red string of garland.

  
"Kurt, what about your family?"

  
"You are my family, Blaine," Kurt sighs heavily, stopping in his tracks to look at his boyfriend, waiting for him to protest, but he doesn't say anything. So, Kurt continues on, and hangs the garland up on the window edge.

  
"What's about your dad? I'm sure he wants to spend Christmas with you," Blaine replies, snuggling against his pillow, and bringing his blankets higher up to his chin.

  
"I'll spend Christmas morning with him," Kurt shrugs, "But I'll be here by eight AM, I promise,"

  
"Kurt-" Blaine starts, but Kurt stops him.

  
"I'm not letting you spend Christmas alone. Cooper's gone now, and your dad is missing, and your mom is never around. I'm not letting you spend Christmas by yourself. It's our favorite holiday, and I wanna spend the day with you," Kurt says, putting his hands on his hips, and turning to look at the teen in front of him. They stare at each other for a few seconds before Blaine speaks up.

  
"My dad is missing?" He breathes. Kurt stiffens, swallowing thickly.

  
"Sorta, he's still going to work, but no one in the family has heard from him, but I think that's a good thing," He shrugs, sighing heavily. Blaine nods slowly, taking in the new information.

  
"Hey, don't worry about it," Kurt tries, scrunching his face, and silently cursing himself for letting it slip. Blaine nods again, looking down at the floor, and picking at his sheet carefully. "Honey, please," Kurt begs, kneeling down beside his boyfriend, and cupping his hand in the both of his.

  
"How can I not worry about it?" Blaine scoffs.

  
"Because it's Christmas, and you don't need to worry about anything, alright," He promises, pressing his forehead against Blaine's. He rubs his thumb gently across Blaine's wrist, trying to soothe him.

  
"Okay," He whispers, swallowing the lump in his throat, but still looking into Kurt's big, blue-grey eyes, that he always could get lost in. Kurt nods.

  
"Okay," He says, leaning in to press a light kiss to the tip of his nose, which brings a small smile to his face. "Alright, on to more important things," Kurt gets back to his feet, going finish his job on the garland.

  
"Like what?" Blaine yawns, a sleepy grin on his face.

  
"The tree, of course," Kurt smiles, nodding to the almost bare, minature tree sitting on the table top beside the pull out couch.

  
"I wanna help with that," Blaine says, throwing off his covers, and starting for his boyfriend. Kurt's face falls instantly.

  
"Blaine-"

  
"Don't tell me I'm not well. I know how I feel, and this is the most important part about Christmas, besides family of course," The former Warbler says, stumbling a little as he stands. Kurt's instantly in front of him, helping him up, even after Blaine tried to shake him off. He grabs his chemo pole, where his IV bag was and followed Kurt to the tree, where he sat himself down on the couch. Kurt slid the small box over, and Blaine started looking through the different ornaments.

  
"Where did you get these?" Blaine asks, admiring a pretty gold and red one, before hanging it on one of the branches.

  
"I stopped at a couple stores before I got here, and got some decorations, some of them did come from our attic as well," Kurt shrugs, grabbing a couple ornaments of his own. Blaine smile brightly. "We need music," Kurt blurts, dropping the icicle shaped ornament and setting it in Blaine's lap. He starts off, digging though his bag for his iPod.

  
There never was a dull moment with them. Music was always playing, or there was something else going on. No matter what it was they were doing.

  
Kurt scrolls a little through his screen, before a large smile comes over his face, and he turns the volume up as loud as it can go.

  
Kurt happily starts off, making his way back to the tree, to continue decorating.

  
_I'm dreaming tonight of a place I love_   
_Even more than I usually do_   
_And although I know it's a long road back_   
_I promise you_

  
Both of them almost forgot about their annual Christmas duet, but today was as good as any day to do it, and Kurt made a good choice. They both continue for the chorus.

  
_I'll be home for Christmas_   
_You can count on me_   
_Please have snow and mistletoe_   
_And presents by the tree_

  
Kurt grins as he leans forward, rubbing his nose against Blaine's, making the teen laugh, and chase after his lips for a quick peck.

  
_Christmas eve will find me_   
_Where the love light gleams_   
_I'll be home for Christmas_   
_If only in my dreams_

  
Blaine gets up from his seat, and stands beside his boyfriend, ignoring the dizziness in his head, just to continue their traditon. Not even cancer was going to stop him from doing this with the most important person in the world.

  
_I'll be home for Christmas_   
_You can count on me_   
_Please have some snow and mistletoe_   
_And presents by the tree_

  
Kurt watches him carefully, but doesn't say anything. Instead, letting him help with the tree, their shoulder brushing against each other.

  
_Christmas eve will find me_   
_Where the love light gleams_   
_I'll be home for Christmas_   
_If only in my dreams_   
_If only in my dreams_

  
They finish the song together, holding the note longer than normal, but still enjoying each other's locked gaze on one another. Kurt wraps his arms around Blaine's neck and Blaine's around Kurt's waist, pressing their foreheads together. Kurt coughs, looking up at the ceiling. Blaine follows his gaze, up to the mistletoe above them. He laughs, leaning forward to press a long kiss on Kurt's thin, soft lips. Kurt giggles into the kiss, and Blaine can feel the vibrations against his own lips.

  
"By far our best one yet?" Blaine tries, his forehead still pressed firmly against Kurt's.

  
"Better than 'Baby, It's Cold Outside'?" Kurt gasps.

  
"Yes, because now I can do this," Blaine says, pressing another few kisses to Kurt's lips to make the slightly taller boy smile and laugh into them, unable to keep a straight face.

  
"Agreed. I like this a lot better," He sighs, shutting his eyes, and breathing in Blaine's scent, that has been mostly replaced by the smell of hospital and sterile tools.

  
"I love you," Kurt sighs with bliss, nuzzling his nose against Blaine's.

  
"I love you too," Blaine says, his eyes still wide open, but admiring the way his boyfriend looked. Even in a hospital, his hair barely done, and outfit just jeans and a sweater, he was stunning.

  
"Stop it," Kurt blushes, rolling his eyes, playfully of course.

  
"What?" Blaine cocks his head to the side.

  
"You just said I was perfect, stop it," Kurt chuckles.

  
"Did I say that out loud?" Blaine smiles, his cheeks now a bright pink.

  
"Yeah, you did, so can you not?" Kurt huffs, cupping Blaine's cheeks, so he can press a kiss to his lips.

  
"It's all true. You really are perfect, and I don't tell you that enough," Blaine admits.

  
"Blaine," Kurt groans, hiding his face into his boyfriends' shoulder, enjoying the softness from his hoodie.

  
"Kurt," Blaine retorts, rubbing Kurt's back carefully, still mindful of his chemo needle sticking from his arm. "I mean it, every word. I never tell you just how much you mean to me," He whispers in his ear, kissing the teen's ear.

  
"Stop it, yes you do. You tell me plenty," Kurt sighs contently, his voice muffled by the fabric of Blaine's hoodie. Blaine chuckles, squeezing Kurt as hard as he could, which wasn't very hard, before letting him go.

  
"Let's finish this so we can watch 'It's A Wonderful Life'," Blaine yawns, digging into the small box once more, looking for another ornament to hang up. Kurt nods, his face still a light pink and a smile still planted firmly on his face. "So, did you place the mistletoe there on purpose, or just a coincidence?"

  
"There are no coincidences with Kurt Hummel, Blaine. I thought you knew that by now. I plan ahead, because I wanted an excuse to plant one on my handsome boyfriend's lips," Kurt says a matter of factly, and pulling out another decoration for the tree. Blaine laughs.

  
"You never need a reason to kiss your handsome boyfriend. I'll take kiss at any time possible,"

  
"Good," Kurt says, leaning over the small box to plant one on his cheek. "I'll remember that when your incredibly annoyed with me,"

 

 

-0-

 

 

Blaine woke up to the sound of a soft voice, and soft kisses being pressed to his face. He grumbles, a small smile forming on his face, but he can't help but hide it in his covers, wanting a few more hours of sleep.

  
"Come on, sleepy head, It's Christmas," The voice whispers in his ear, their lips kissing his temple gently. Blaine opens one of his eyes, coming eye to eye with Kurt's blue-grey irises that he loved so much. Kurt smiles wider, one hand rubbing at Blaine's shoulder carefully. "Morning, Sleepyhead," He chuckles, his voice still almost down to a whisper. Blaine goes to say something, but his smile is instantly gone, and he's throwing off his covers to make it to the bathroom.

  
His knees painfully smack against the tile and he fumbles with the lid, before disposing of anything left in his stomach. Kurt's smile is gone in an instant as well, and he hangs his head with sympathy, slowly making his way into the bathroom, so he can wrap his legs around his boyfriend, rubbing at his back. Blaine was still throwing up when he does so.

  
"Shh," Kurt soothes, lifting Blaine's hoodie to get skin on skin contact, which Blaine relaxes under. His now pale skin was clammy, and a hot under Kurt's touch. He was hoping it was just from throwing up, or from sleeping, and not from a fever.

  
When Blaine's finished, he flushes it down, and he falls back into Kurt's arms, curling up into a small ball, tears starting to rush down his cheeks. Kurt's heart breaks for him. He pets his bald head carefully, holding him close.

  
"Hey, none of that," Kurt coos, lifting Blaine's chin with his forefinger and thumb, looking him dead in the eyes. Blaine sniffles, trying to choke back his tears. "No crying on Christmas. It's not cancermas,"

  
Blaine can't help it, he starts to laugh, hiding his face into the shoulder of Kurt's Christmas sweater, his shoulder shaking.

  
"Awe, Honey," Kurt chuckles, holding him close, rubbing his back carefully. "You're okay," He promises, pressing a sweet kiss to the top of his bald head.

  
"Merry Christmas to me, huh?" Blaine sighs heavily, nuzzling his nose against the bright red fabric of Kurt's sweater.

  
"It could always be worse," Kurt breathes, petting his boyfriend's head carefully. Blaine smiles lightly. "Come on, we can do presents," He says, getting to his feet first before helping Blaine up as well. The former Warbler wobbles for a few seconds, but he eventually gets ahold of himself, and heads for the sink, to brush his teeth and rinse his mouth out.

  
"I thought we decided no presents?" Blaine sighs heavily, wiping his mouth on the hand towel beside the sink.

  
"I got you something anyway," Kurt shrugs, giving him a bright smile.

  
"Awe, come on. You knew I couldn't leave to get you anything," Blaine grumbles.

  
"All I want for Christmas is you," Kurt teases,

  
"Like the song?"

  
"Like the song," Kurt confirms, pecking his lips chastely. He takes Blaine's thin hand in his own and leads him back to his main room. Blaine sits down on his bed, his legs crossed Indian style, and Kurt sits across from him, sitting in the same fashion.

  
It was the first time that day, that Blaine could really look at what his boyfriend was wearing. A bright red, yarn Christmas sweater, with a loud christmas tree on the front. Ornaments of all different sizes and shapes decorated it, and the green, cartoon pine went well with his dark green skinny jeans. To top it off, he was wearing a pair of black boots that tied everything together.

  
"You are so cute," Blaine chuckles, admiring his boyfriend's outfit.

  
"I know," He shrugs, reaching for his messenger bag and pulling out a box. It was small enough to almost fit in his pocket, you know, if his pants weren't so damn tight. "Here's the first one,"

  
"First one? There's more than one? This isn't fair," Blaine shakes his head, reluctatnly taking the gift.

  
"I couldn't decide what to get you," He shrugs innocently. Blaine laughs, undoing the perfectly tied, golden ribbon and sliding it off the white box. He lifts the lid, his mouth falls open.

  
"You got me a new iPod," Blaine sighs with admiration.

  
"I know that you last one died a couple week ago, so I wanted to get you a new one," Kurt smiles, happy to see Blaine was enjoying the gift. "I may or may not have already filled it with your favorite music, and music I have been trying to get you to listen to for months on end now," He adds, making Blaine laugh.

  
"I told you I would get around to it," He shrugs innocently.

  
"Yeah, whatever you say," Kurt sighs, handing him another, this time it was next to his messenger bag, and was pretty large in size.

  
"Kurt-"  
"Just shutup and open it," Kurt huffs, crossing his arms over his chest. Blaine scolds him playfully and carefully undoes to bright green bow, and unwrapping the red, snowflake patterned paper.

  
The first thing he saw was the new Avenger's movie that he had yet to see, and he couldn't hold in the loud gasp from his mouth.

  
"You were running out of DVD's, so I got you a couple more. Of course, you won't watch some of them with out me," He shrugs, making Blaine smile wider, going through the large stack.

  
"A couple? You got me twelve," He laughs.

  
"Alright, last one,"

  
"Kurt!"

  
"Hush, and open it," He playfully rolls his eyes, pulling another very small package. It was really thin, as if only a piece of paper or a magazine was inside. It was wrapped with white paper and a silver bow. Blaine sighs heavily, but eventually takes the small package, carefully opening it.

  
What was inside, made his breath hitch in his throat. It was two plane tickets, and two theater tickets to go see 'Wicked', well fake tickets for 'Wicked'.

  
"Kurt, what are these?" His smile fades instantly.

  
"Don't worry, I know you can't go anywhere. The plane tickets are for August 23rd of next year, and the Wicked tickets are just placements until we can get real tickets, closer to the date,"

  
"Kurt-"

  
"Blaine, this is a promise. This is a promise that as soon as you beat this thing, we're going to go to New York together, for two weeks. Get to know the place we'll be living in for the rest of our lives for two weeks, alright?" Kurt puts a hand over Blaine's hand, a small smile on his face.

  
"How? You're dad is just going to let us go to New York together, alone for two weeks?"

  
"After everything we've been through this far, a trip to New York is nothing. It was his idea," Kurt chuckles, squeezing his boyfriend's hand tightly.

  
"What if I don't make it?" Blaine says quietly.

  
"We don't have to worry about that, because you will," Kurt says, lifting Blaine's chin with his thumb to meet him eye to eye. "Alright?" Blaine nods again.

  
"God, I love you so much," Blaine attacks him with a hug, wrapping his arms around him, and kissing his lips.

  
"I love you too," Kurt chuckles squeezing him tight in his arms.

  
"Now," Blaine pulls away, wiping at his eyes. Kurt's hear warms at the sight of Blaine getting emotional over starting a life with him. "Let me give you mine," He says, setting his gifts on his nightstand and hopping off the bed, to reach under his bed, searching for his present.

  
"What do you mean? How did you get me something?" Kurt chuckles, shaking his head with disbelief.

  
"Well, Sam is my wingman for a reason," Blaine laughs, pulling out a box that was wrapped in green paper and a red bow. "Open it," He says, climbing back into his bed, and putting the box into his boyfriend's lap. Kurt looks at him suspiciously, but does eventually open it, pulling back tissue paper.

  
"Oh my God! This is the most fabulous jacket I have ever seen!" Kurt gasps, pulling out the navy blue jacket with the 'Marc Jacobs' logo on the tag, and golden buttons and cuffs. "How did you know? I've been looking at this jacket for months," He pulls it out, giving it a good look.

  
"I know you better than you know yourself, Sweetheart," Blaine chuckles, leaning forward to capture his lips into a smiling kiss. "I'm just surprised Sam didn't screw it up. Fashion isn't his forte," Blaine chuckles, admiring the jacket as well.

  
"So am I," Kurt admits, sheepishly, leaning his forehead against Blaine's and sighing contently. "I love you so much, B," Kurt sighs with content, turning his head so his lips are ghosting over Blaine's.

  
"I love you more," He promises, pulling Kurt in for a not so quick kiss. He takes Kurt's bottom lip between his teeth, cupping his cheeks he did so. He pushes his tongue into Kurt's mouth, and Kurt opens his mouth so Blaine has all the room he'll need. They fight for dominace, but eventually Kurt gives up and lets Blaine have full range of his mouth. Blaine breathes in through the kiss, his brow furrowed with concentration. Kurt pulls back first, and the other boy is left breathless, and missing the warmth of his boyfriend's mouth.

  
"Damn, you still got it in you, Anderson," Kurt chuckles, his lips red and swollen from the kiss. Blaine laughs, hanging his head down.

 

A Wonderful Life later and they were half way through White Christmas. Blaine was lying down with his head resting in Kurt's lap, his left arm sticking out, to make sure he didn't rip his chemo needle right out. Kurt was sitting up with his feet propped up on a waiting chair. A laptop was balanced on one of the chairs and a stack of books. Blaine was sick of sitting in bed all day, so they moved to the pull out couch.

  
This wasn't the first time they watched movies in this position. Whenever Blaine wasn't feeling well, which has been more often than not, they would lay like this, and Kurt would pet his boyfriend's head carefully, trying not to bother the feeding tube. He wouldn't ever admit it, but Blaine was starting to fall asleep. His eyes would droop, and then he would shake himself awake, or Kurt would shift slightly, sending his eyes open once more.

  
"You can fall asleep if you want, Baby," Kurt huffs, noticing the way Blaine was drifting in and out of sleep.

  
"'M fine," Blaine sighs, nuzzling his nose against Kurt's too tight pants. In return, the countertenor laugh.

  
"Yeah, I know you're fine, that's one of the reasons I love you, but you're falling asleep," Blaine grins, letting out a deep breath. At that moment, Kurt's phone starts to go off, and he quickly reaches over Blaine to snatch it up, checking the screen. His eyes scan over the few texts before he speaks once more. "Change of plans, you can't go to sleep, not yet anyway,"

  
"What? Why?" Blaine scrunches his face, moshing his nose against Kurt's knee.

  
"Because sleeping while you have guests is rude," Kurt breathes.

  
"You're hardly a guest," Blaine mumbles.

  
"Not me," Kurt says, playfully rolling his eyes and nudging Blaine's gaze towards the doorway, just as Sam and Finn lead the rest of the New Directions and most of Warblers into his room. The Warblers were already humming, and making a beat for Sam to sing over.

 

_Ho, ho, ho..._   
_Shake up the happiness_   
_Wake up the happiness_   
_Shake up the happiness_   
_It's Christmas time_

  
Blaine chuckles, hiding his face into Kurt's lap, his shoulders shaking. He finally sits up, and sits beside his boyfried, allowing Kurt to wrap an arm around his shoulders, bright, cheery grins on both their faces.

  
_There was a story that I was told_   
_And I want to tell the world before I get too old_   
_And don't remember it, so let's December it_   
_And reassemble it, oh yeah_

  
Finn and David take over next, stepping a bit forward. His entire room was filled with people, and he's sure his neighbors were wondering when they started getting carolers, but he was enjoying this as much as anyone else.

  
_And maybe every once in a while_   
_You give my grandma a reason to smile_   
_'Tis the season to smile_   
_It's cold but we'll be freezing in style_

  
Everyone joins for the next one, filling the room with happiness and the sound of beautiful voice meshing well together, like always. All of them were dressed in winter clothes, Santa hats, reindeer ears, or an elf hat. It was refreshing to see some of the Warbler dressed so festive like this.

  
_Shake it up (shake it up), shake up the happiness_   
_Wake it up, wake up the happiness_   
_Come on all, it's Christmas time_   
_Shake it up, shake up the happiness_   
_Wake it up, wake up the happiness_   
_Come on all, it's Christmas time_   
_Ho, ho, ho,_   
_Ho, ho, ho,_   
_It's Christmas time_

  
As soon as the song is finished, Blaine starts clapping, not even trying to hold in his laughs anymore. He really did have the best of best friends to exist. He would get to his feet, but he didn't wanna risk getting dizzy, so he remained where he was.

  
"We didn't want you to be alone Christmas, so we wanted to come by and see you," Tina says, once it finally dies down a bit.

  
"And of course serenade you, because we are in glee club," David adds, shrugging his shoulders.

  
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Blaine laughs. "Thank you guys, so much, you have no idea how much this means to me," Blaine says. He looks around the group, and notices a few were looking at his chemo needle and the stand sitting at the end of the couch. He understood, they've never seen this before, and it is kinda weird.

  
"Is that the chemo?" David asks, like it was nothing. He nods towards the stand.

  
"Yeah, this is it," Blaine sighs heavily, looking down at the needle in his arm.

  
"On Christmas?" Finn pouts.

  
"Yeah, cancer doesn't take holidays, although I wish it did," Blaine tries to joke, but of course, it falls flat. "You guys didn't have to do this. I have Kurt, he wouldn't let me be alone on a weekend, let alone a holiday," Blaine smirks, looking to his boyfriend, who just playfully rolls his eyes.

  
"It was Kurt's idea in the first place. Instead of having our usual New Directions Christmas celebration, we wanted to come here, and invite the Warblers," Mike says, a grin on his face. Blaine turns back to Kurt, and just shakes his head.

  
"Of course this was your idea," He chuckles.

  
"Who else would it be?" Kurt teases, sighing heavily. Blaine smiles, leaning back into his arms, and Kurt wrapping an arm around his shoulders, letting him snuggle up to him.  
"Hey, Warbler's, how'd your Regionals go?" Blaine asks. "You never did text me about it," He adds, trying to make them feel guilty, jokingly of course.

  
"We made it," Trent says, a proud smirk on his face.

  
"Because of this guy's voice!" David cheers, wrapping an arm around the shorter boy's shoulders, who was already turning as red as a tomato. Blaine sighs wistfully. He wished he could still perform. He missed it like crazy.

  
"You of course know that we won as well. I'm sure you've heard it from your boyfriend," Rachel says, her arms crossed, obviously unhappy that they would have to compete against the Warbler's at Nationals this year.

  
"I've heard every detail," Blaine smiles, looking up to Kurt with a proud smile, who winks back at him.

  
"You guys are gonna make us puke with those looks," Nick says, faking a few hurling sounds. In return, Blaine sits up, press a wet one of his boyfriend's lips, smiling through the whole thing.

  
"That's my brother, Dude!" Finn groans, covering his eyes with his hands. Kurt's laugh is what breaks the kiss.

  
"Okay, we've been here for ten minutes, and you still haven't given me a hug, what the hell, Anderson?" Nick groans, putting his hands on his hips. Blaine pulls back from Kurt.  
"Right, what was I thinking?" He says, removing himself from his seat on the couch. He goes to grab his IV pole, but he stumbles, and would have fallen over if it wasn't for Kurt's quick reactions. Kurt had him in his arms, holding on for dear life, while Blaine was out of breath, clearly startled. The room falls silent, a few gasping as Blaine almost fell to the floor, and a few of the guys started for him. Kurt gets him back to his feet though.

  
"Blaine?" Kurt warns, raising one eyebrow higher than other. The former Warbler's smile is now gone, and he's taking deep breaths.

  
"I'm fine," he nod, still gripping to Kurt's sweater.

  
"Blaine, don't lie to-"

  
"I'm fine, really. I just got up too fast," Blaine assures him, a small, but fake smile coming across his lips.

  
"Have you talked to Dr. Thomas, yet?" Kurt says, his voice a little quieter than normal.

  
"I'll get to it," Blaine shrugs, nodding his head.

  
"Blaine-"

  
"Can we talk about this later?" He asks. Kurt sighs heavily, but eventually nods. Blaine breaks from his grasp, his smile returning. Nick practically charges him, wrapping him in a tight hug, almost bone crushing. Blaine lets out a deep breath, patting his back, he couldn't tell Nick was close to crying.

  
"Nick, I'm fine, alright?" Blaine promises. Nick just nods into his shoulder, reluctantly pulling back from his best friend. He wipes at his eyes carefully. "I'm fine," Blaine nods, patting his shoulder. Nick returns it.

  
"You better be, or I'll have to kick your ass," He scoffs playfully, bringing a bright smile to Blaine's face.

  
Hugs are then passed around, a few were hesitant, others hugged him as if he was made of glass, and other were latching on like it would be the last time. A lot of them had never seen Blaine this sick before, because he did a pretty nice job of hiding all that bad stuff, but sometimes he just couldn't control what happened.

 

 

 

By the time Damien comes in to change out Blaine's IV to the next medicine, everyone is scattered around the room, most of their eyes glued to the TV in the front of the room, where National Lampoon's Christmas was playing.

  
Santana and Brittany were curled up in one waiting chair together, with Santana sat in the girl's lap. Mike and Tina were on one end of the couch, cuddling up together, and sneaking the occasional kiss. Sam, Finn, and Rachel were sitting in a row of waiting chairs, with Rachel's head leaning on Finn's shoulder, and Sam drifting off into sleep. Even Christmas couldn't keep him up. Artie was doing the same though, almost right in front of the TV. Mercedes was sitting in a waiting chair with Trent and Sebastian on either sides of her. Of course, not having forgiven Sebastian for all he's done, she's was giving him a glare every so often. Nick and Jeff were laying on the floor in front of the TV, with Jeff's head on Nick's chest, his thumb rubbing the fabric of his hideous Christmas Sweater. Lastly, David, Wes, Thad and Trent were also sitting on the floor, it being the last spot not taken, and were leaning against the wall, watching the movie.

  
Various snacks of sweets and popcorn were floating around the room, and Kurt was munching on some Twizzlers, claiming Christmas was his cheat day. They were laid on the opposite end of the couch, with their feet up, and Blaine sitting between Kurt's legs, almost falling asleep.

  
When Damien enters the room, his eyes go wide, never seeing a patient with so many visitors at once, but he can't help the smile on his face. He comes in the rest of the way, and that's when Kurt realized he had a partner in crime, holding onto the leg of the chemo cart.

  
He was a short toddler, with jet black hair, and slightly squinted eyes, but Kurt could still see they were a rich chocolate color. The little boy had on a pair of reindeer ears, and was wearing a bright red sweater with snowmen on it. He hung on tight to the cart, but had his other hand in his mouth, looking around with awe at all the people in the room.   
The countertenor can't help but smile, and nudge his boyfriend.

  
"Mmm," Blaine mumbles, his eyes drifting shut.

  
"Blaine, there is the cutest toddler in your room," Kurt gasps, not even caring if he was being loud enough for Damien to hear. Of course, he did, and started laughing.

  
"What? Toddler? I think you're high on artificial strawberry flavor, and sugar," Blaine yawns, rolling over to his, but still careful of his tube.

  
"No, Blaine, there is a toddler in your room," Finn says, a small smile on his face. By now almost everyone was gawking at the little boy, thinking he was the most adorable thing ever. The boy was enjoying the attention and started giggling. At the giggle, Blaine opened his eyes, obviously confused.

  
He sees the small boy, and sits up.

  
"Oh my God!" He gasps. The former Warbler looks up at Damien and puts two and two together. "You must be Thomas, huh?" He asks, swinging his feet over the edge of the couch and crouching a little to meet the little boy's gaze. He nods shyly, running to his daddy and hiding his face into the pant of his dark blue scrubs.

  
"Awe, no need to be shy, Buddy. I don't bite," Blaine smiles. Thomas giggles, nuzzing his nose against Damien.

  
"I'm guessing Marcus said something about him?" Damien asks, putting his hands on his hips and looking down at the small boy.

  
"Of course," Blaine shrugs, letting out a small chuckle.

  
"Does a child really belong in a hospital?" Rachel asks, a little hesitant to say anything.

  
"Yeah, normally he's not, but on Christmas, we don't have daycare, and Marcus and I work around the hospital today. I do my job, and Marcus does some therapy sessions, because Christmas is rough for a lot of patients. I thought you would like to meet him, Blaine," Damien nods, looking up at the singer.

 

"Oh my God! Yes!" He laughs.

  
"Alright, come on, Thomas," The nurse heaves the little boy onto his hip and sets him down in Blaine's lap. At first Thomas tried to escape, but after a few seconds, enjoyed being in the patient's lap.

  
"Hey, Buddy," Blaine greets once more. "I know your daddies really well, and they're some of the best people around this joint," Blaine explains. The boy just looks up at Blaine as if he's talking gibberish, but keeps nodding with him, a smile on his face.

  
"Alright, you wanna give me your arm, Blaine?" Damien asks, wheeling his cart past a few people, including a knocked out Sam. Blaine nods, holding out his left arm, and Damien removes the tube, and replaces it with a different one.

  
"That's Kurt, my boyfriend," Blaine says, once he realizes Thomas had his eyes locked onto Kurt, who just waves simply. Thomas stares at the countertenor for a few seconds, and Kurt feels quite uncomfortable, but he's quickly smiling at the teen again, and escaping from Blaine's arms and into Kurt's.

  
"Oh! Hi," Kurt laughs, letting the boy sit between his legs. Thomas giggles, reaching up to pat at Kurt's sweater design. Kurt isntantly relaxes, scared the boy would start crying. He pats a few ornaments and smiles even wider when a little bit of gold glitter comes off on his hands. "You like glitter, huh?" Kurt chuckles. The toddler nods enthusiatically.   
"He doesn't talk much. We've been trying to get him to say more words, but he just doesn't like to," Damien shrugs.

  
"That's fine. I speak introvert," Kurt laughs, making a few other chuckles. While most were watching Kurt with the toddler, Damien started back on Blaine.

  
"How you feeling, Blaine? You alright," Damien asks, grabbing a different IV tube from his cart and inserting it into his needle.

  
"Yeah, I feel fine," Blaine shrugs.

  
"No, he almost passed out getting up today," Kurt says, scolding his boyfriend with one eyebrow raised. Damien looks between the two, his eyebrows high.

  
"It was nothing, really," Blaine shrugs, his arm still out.

  
"Blaine, Miles said the same thing, only it was with headaches," Damien's voice is quiet, but Blaine could still hear him. Blaine swallows thickly, looking at his arm, feeling a pang in his heart at the mention of the boy. "Now, I'll ask you again. How you feeling?"

  
Blaine goes to reassure him he's fine, but he stops himself. "During chemo I get dizzy, and for a few hours later. I've been throwing up a lot more, and I just feel disgusting after chemo," Blaine admits. Kurt's looks up from Thomas's smiling face, to his boyfriend, giving him a proud smirk.

  
"Good, I'm glad you told me. Maybe we can give you a bit more IV flush, it could help with the disgusting feeling, and possibly the throwing up. But, you need to drink more water. This medicine is going straight through your bloodstream, and getting at your kidney's, and you're probably dehydrated. Drink more water. I want you to drink at least thee bottles of water by dinner time, alright?" Damien scolds. Blaine sighs heavily, but nods.

  
"I drink at least four in a day, I don't understand,"

  
"It's not enough. You need more, alright?" Almost everyone was cooing over the toddler, but Sebastian was watching Blaine and Damien, his stomach doing flips and his heart sinking.

  
"Yeah, okay,"

  
"Good," Damien puts the new IV flush onto his IV stand, and patting Blaine on his shoulder. "I'll be back in three hours for that, alright?"

  
"Yeah, I'll be here," Blaine nods.

  
"Good, you ready Thomas?" Damien asks, removing his lilac colored gloves and tossing them in the trashcan. The little boy shakes his head, hiding his face into Kurt's sweater. The entire rooms coos, making a ton of awes. Even Damien is smiling brightly.

  
"He's fine, we'll bring him back in a couple hours," Kurt promises.

  
"Alright," Damien nods. Thomas holds out his hand, waving to his dad, and Damien fake gasps, holding a hand to his heart. "He warmed up to you faster than he did me,"

  
"Kurt's like a baby magnet. Of all ages," Finn says, nodding towards hsi step-brother. "You have no idea how many times we'll be in groccery stores, and they'll just reach out for him, and smile at him,"

  
Blaine smirks, reaching over to put his hand on Kurt's knee. The teen looks over to his boyfriend, giving him a wink.

  
"Do you need anything while I'm here, Blaine? Like more water?" Damien asks, eyeing the boy. Blaine hangs his head, his cheeks turning a light pink.

  
"No, I have my water bottle," He says, lifting the dark blue bottle from beside the couch.

  
"Oh look, it's still full," Damien says sighing heavily. Blaine playfully rolls his eyes, shaking his head.

  
"Yeah, yeah," He huffs. His nurse smiles.

  
"I'm serious though, drink more water, okay?"

  
"I will," He promises, sighing heavily. "See?" He opens his bottle and takes a long swig.

  
"That's what I like to see! Alright, Merry Christmas everyone, and if you guys are gone by the time I get back, have a wonderful Christmas!" Damien says pushing his cart back out of the room, and waving to everyone. Everyone who was still awake waves back, and says Merry Christmas back.

  
"He seems nice," Tina says, admiring the way he walked out.

  
"Are you checking him out?" Mike asks, looking between the two of them.

  
"Well, can you blame me? Look at those muscles," She says. Mike hangs his head down, obviously unable to prove her wrong.

  
"Well, he's very gay," Blaine laughs, looking back at Kurt and Thomas who was still very interested in Kurt sweater and the glitter it had. Tina pouts, and Blaine just shakes his head, going to look back at the TV, but he catches Sebastian staring at him. The Warbler quickly looks away, and back to the movie. Blaine scrunches his brow, but doesn't say anything. He's never seen that expression on Sebastian's face before. He looked as if he was a kicked puppy. He shakes it off, leaning back into the couch, his head resting on Kurt's knee.

 

 

The movie ended an hour later, and most people were passed out cold. Sam, Finn, Rachel, Jeff, Nick, David, Kurt, and even little Thomas were out.

  
Blaine looks up at his boyfriend, his smile widening as the credits start to roll.

  
His head was tipped back against the arm of the couch, and Thomas was passed out with his head on Kurt's chest, and tiny snores escaping his small mouth.

  
He honestly couldn't wait to move out and start a life with Kurt. He couldn't wait until he would get to see this sight almost everyday after coming home from work. Whether it being sleeping like this, or playing with their child, or maybe reading or singing to them. No matter what it may be, he was excited to have a baby with his boyfriend. Years down the road of course.

  
They've talked about children before, but they've never really talked about it seriously. It was always a joke, or like the time Blaine told Kurt about his cancer. Not really saying how many, how they would have them, or what their names would be, but definitely insinuating that they would have at least one kid together. Blaine couldn't wait until that day came.

  
"I love you so much," Blaine whispers, pressing a soft kiss to his knee. Luckily, he doesn't move.

  
"Alright, we're leaving, Hobbit," Santana says, patting Brittany's thigh to get her up.

  
"Okay, thank you guys for-"

  
"Please, we did this because we had nothing better to do with out Christmas, definently not because we wanted to spend it with you," Santana says crossing her arms over her chest, but a small smirk playing on her lips. Blaine laughs lightly, hanging his head down. Blaine gives them a quick hug before they're off.

  
Artie, Mercedes, Tina, and Mike aren't far behind them, because two of the four obviously needed to go home and take a nap before they drooled all over Blaine's room. When Blaine looks over again, Sebastian is in front of him.

  
"Hey, uh, can we go talk or something?" He asks, clearing his throat. Blaine looks up at him. He looks back to Kurt, making sure he was still passed out, because there was no way Kurt would let him go anywhere with Sebastian, no matter what it was.

  
"Yeah, sure," Blaine gets to his feet, quickly placing a kiss on Kurt's forehead, careful not to disturb him.

  
"Awesome," Sebastian says, starting out the door. "I actually don't know where I'm going, so maybe you should lead," He admits, sucking in a deep breath.

  
This was weird. Sebastian was acting weird. Usually, he's cocky as hell, and all you wanna do is punch him in his merecat face. Today, he was shy, nice even. What the hell was going on? Maybe he should take a video, because there was no way this was going to happen again. Something was going on.

  
"Are you okay, Sebastian?" Blaine asks, taking lead, his chemo stand beside him as they went down the halls.

 

"What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine," He swallows, his hands shoved deep inside his jeans pockets, but still not really making eye contact with Blaine. "So, uh, where are we going?"

  
"There's a visiting room just around the corner," Blaine says. Okay, things were awkward. Everything felt tense. This wasn't something they obviously do a lot, so this was weird, and of course, they have a past, so it made things worse. He'd never imagine he's be hanging out with the teenager, not once in his life.

  
The room was quite packed, which made sense considering it was Christmas afternoon, but they managed to find an empty table and sat across from each other, trying to hear each other over the many voices.

  
"What's going on? Are you alright?" Blaine asks as soon as they've sat down, taking in Sebastian's worried and nervous glances towards him.

  
"Jesus Blaine. What the hell is the matter with you?" Sebastian scoffs, shaking his head in disbelief. He didn't look angry, he was just astounded.

  
"What? What do you mean?" He pulls back just slightly.

  
"You look as if you've been hit by a truck, and you have a chemo stand attached to you, you nearly passed out today, and you're asking me what's wrong?" He shakes his head.

  
"Oh, I guess it's just how I work," He shrugs, not really knowing what else to say. Since coming to the hospital, he's heard that almost a million times and he's gotten used to it, so he relaxes. He didn't know what to expect from this talk.

  
"I've thrown a rock salt slushie in your eye, you had to have surgery, I got you drunk, almost ruining your relationship, I threatened Finn, and I got into a fight with your boyfriend the day you told us you had cancer. How do you not hate me yet?"

  
"I don't hate a lot of people," He shrugs. "I mean people like Isis, but other than that, not really,"

  
"Jesus, Blaine,"

  
"What? Is that a bad thing?"

  
"Yes, when people like me come into your life, you should hate me, absolutley hate me," He nods, scoffing.

  
"Is that what you wanted to tell me?" Blaine asks, pulling back from the Warbler.

  
"No, no, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about," His slight smile disappears, and he falls back against his chair. He looks around nervously, and Blaine eggs him on by raising his eyebrows.

  
"I'm sorry," He shrugs.

  
"What?"

  
"You heard me, don't do that," Sebastian says crossing his arms over his chest.

  
"I did, but I wanna hear you say it again," Blaine smirks. Sebastian chuckles, shaking his head.

  
"I'm sorry, alright?" He repeats.

  
"I know you are,"

  
"How?"

  
"I saw you staring today, and you just looked hurt and guilty as hell," Blaine replies, a small smirk coming on his lips. The Warbler flicks his tongue over his teeth and looks off.

  
"It's weird,"

  
"What's weird?"

  
"All of it. It's weird to see you sick like this first of all. You've always been this dapper Dalton boy, but here you are in sweatpants, a Christmas sweater, and boat shoes,"

Sebastian responds. Blaine shrugs.

  
"I normally wear this now,"

  
"I know you do, and that's what's weird. You used to wear bow-ties everyday, or a Dalton blazer. Your hair would be slicked back and it would make not just the boys swoon, but the girls too. Now you don't have any, you barely have eyebrows anymore. You would always have a smile on you face, and I've heard so many stories about you from the others. Watching movies was your Friday nights, and you'd be the only one still awake, but now you're the first out. You cling to Kurt like a baby sloth too. It's all weird," He shrugs helplessly. Blaine's small smile fades, looking down at himself.

  
"Blaine, have you looked in the mirror lately? You're paler than Kurt, only it isn't cute, it's sick, very sick. You look like you've lost forty pounds, which you really didn't need to lose in the first place. I'm pretty sure I could throw you over my shoulder if I wanted to," He scoffs. "You have a tube coming from not only your arm, but through your nose too. You look sick, horribly sick, and it's scary to see you like this,"

  
"Sorry cancer isn't all flowers and teddy bears?" Blaine says sarcastically, getting a little frustrated.

  
"Calm down, Princess. I'm not trying to insult you. I'm worried about you is what I'm saying, you should be flattered," He adds, leaning back into his chair once more.   
"You're worried about me?" Blaine smile grows at that.

  
"Yeah, yeah, shut up," Sebastian groans, rolling his eyes. "I am sorry for every single thing I've done. Not just to you, but to Kurt, and to the New Directions, everyone," He adds, nodding his head along to his words. Blaine nods slowly.

  
"Okay,"

 

"Okay?"

  
"Yeah, okay. I told you I don't hate a lot of people, and I don't hate you, Sebastian. Kurt, yeah, he hates you a lot, but no, I don't hate you. I've forgiven you awhile ago, because life's too short,"

  
"Who are you Ghondi or some shit?"

  
"Shut up," Blaine chuckles, crossing his arms over his chest, careful not to jostle his needle too much. Sebastian's shoulder relax slightly. "Do I really look that shit?"

  
"Yeah, you do, only worse, because I like to sugar coat things," He shrugs, a smirk playing on his lips.

  
"Shut up, Seb," He laughs, shaking his head playfully. Sebastian smiles even wider at the nickname, his heart warming just a little bit. They fall quiet, neither saying a thing, but not really looking at each other either, just enjoying each other's presence.

  
"Are you really forgiving me?"

  
"What? Of Course I am," Blaine can't help but let out small laugh.

  
"It's just, with Kurt and everything, I just-" he stops to think about what he's about to say next. "Look, Blaine, you're a nice guy, a little too nice, and if someone apologized for gauging your eyes out, you'd probably say it was okay. I just wanna make sure we're okay,"

  
"Sebastian Smythe, we are more than okay. I'd consider us friends. What you've done to us has been fucked up, but I'm not going to hold you to that forever. Life is way too short for grudges. I have cancer, man. I'm not going to let anyone think I hate them, because I could die tomorrow. It's not worth it," He shrugs. When Sebastian doesn't say anything, he continues. "Seb, I'm being honest. You're a friend. You know what you did was messed up, why should I make you suffer anymore than that?"

  
The Warbler nods slowly, finally agreeing to what Blaine was saying.

  
"Alright, I accept your acceptance to my apology," He sighs heavily. Blaine smiles, hanging his head down.

  
"You know, I've always admired you, Blaine,"

  
"Really? Why?" Blaine asks, cocking his head to the side, clearly intrigued.

  
"I told you when I met you, you're sex on a stick and sing like a dream," Sebastian shrugs, leaning back in his chair, with his usual smirk on his face. You know, the one that Kurt wants to punch off his face. Blaine laughs nervously, his cheeks turning a light pink.

  
"Well, that's one way to put it," Blaine replies, resting his arms on the table.

  
"I admired you, Blaine. You were everything I wanted to be and more. You were good looking, an amazing voice, and that was just my first impression. Then, the Warbler started talking more about you, and you were amazing, just stunning. You were funny, smart, and adorable. You were like a puppy,"

  
"Thank you?"

  
"Yes, you're welcome. I thought I needed to have you, and I would do anything for that to happen. I met Kurt then, and all I wanted to do was punch him, because you two were perfect together. I was so jealous, because I've always wanted that,"

  
"Sebastian, you took us to a bar, and hooked up with at least two of the guys there," Blaine recalls.

  
"Yeah, I did, because they were hot. It's what I thought I wanted. I thought you'd be an easy lay, I-"

  
"Wow! Thanks," Blaine rolls his eyes sarcastically.

  
"Shut up, you should be flattered," Sebastian retorts. Blaine shakes his head in response. "Anyway, but there was something else, and I realized a kiss or a fuck wouldn't be enough, but Kurt was there, and every time you two were together, I wanted to rip my eyes out and dip them in bleach, because you two were just too perfect,"

  
"Is that a compliment?"

  
"For me, yes, so take it," He scoffs, flicking his tongue over his teeth. "That's why I always wanted you, and I figured if I could take out Kurt, then that would happen, but you two were always one step ahead. I throw a slushie and you take it, the last person I wanted to take it. I took you guys to a bar, in hopes you'd get drunk, you did, really drunk, but then you guys fucked for the first time. I threaten Finn, and you guys win. I just couldn't win with you guys, and I always win,"

  
"How did you know that was our first time?" Blaine asks, clearly confused.

  
"Nick has a loud mouth," Sebastian responds, crossing his arms over his chest. "I gave up then. I decided if I couldn't have you as a fuck or boyfriend, then I'd try as a friend, and Kurt just hated me, which I'm not going to lie, I still don't like him,"

  
Blaine laughs.

  
"Of course you don't,"

  
"Whatever, but I saw you sick. I knew you were sick, and I knew you had cancer, but hearing about it and seeing it are two very different things, and it scared me, because I realized all the shit I've done, and I never really apologized for it,"

  
"No, you haven't,"

  
"Seeing you today with a chemo needle in, and bald, and sick looking, scared me, because you could die, Blaine,"

  
"Yeah, I could, but I'm trying not to do that. I'm really trying. Although the world does seem to be against me," He shrugs, as if it was nothing. "Just listen to me when I say, it's okay. All of it. Like I said, and you said, I could die, and I don't want to hate you if I do, alright?"

  
"Yeah, okay," Sebastian nods with him, his face falling.

  
"Good," He leans back, sighing heavily. They look at each other for a little while, not saying a word. It wasn't anything romantic, it felt platonic to both of them, but it was just different to look at each other like that, as friends, not enemies.

  
"Well, do you wanna head back? I don't want Kurt to wake up and worry," Blaine says, a small smile on his face.

  
"Of course you don't," Sebastian rolls his eyes, but get ups with Blaine anyway. Blaine starts out for the door, but Sebastian pulls him in a for hug, before he can, squeezing him tight.

  
"Oh, okay," Blaine chuckles, patting Sebastian's back.

  
"Sorry, I just-I needed to do that," He says, pulling back from the shorter boy and patting his shoulder. Blaine shrugs.

  
"It's fine," He adds, giving the Warbler a large smile before turning back around and heading for his room once more.

 

 

When they got back to the room, all the New Directions were gone, and the only ones remaining were, Wes, David, Jeff, Nick, Thad, and of course, Kurt, who was no longer sleeping, but awake with a still sleeping Thomas in his arms.

  
"Did my phone ring while I was gone?" Blaine asks, biting his bottom lip. Kurt looks between the two of them quickly before responding.

  
"No, it didn't," He replies, his face falling. Blaine nods slowly, grabbing his phone from the couch anyway. "He'll call, Blaine," Kurt assures him.

  
"Yeah, I hope so," Blaine responds, checking through his texts, hoping a new one would appear out of nowhere from his brother. "Otherwise it'll just be like all the other times,"

  
"Why don't you call him?" Nick says, still sitting up against the wall, with a sleeping Jeff in his arms.

  
"I wanna know if he remembered or not. I wanna know how much Cooper really cares," Blaine replies, giving Nick a small smile, who just nods along with him, agreeing.

  
"I know he'll call. This isn't like last time," Kurt says, giving his boyfriend his most sympathetic look he can muster up.

  
"Yeah," Blaine nods again, falling back into his seat on the couch. When Nick's phone started to ring, Blaine couldn't help but jump for his phone. He realized it wasn't him, and Nick looked guilty.

  
"I'm sorry, man," Nick says, pulling out his phone from his pocket, and hoping Jeff didn't wake up, but he did. Except he only just rubbed his face against Nick's jeans. "It's my mom," He groans, hitting the green call button and putting it up to his ear.

  
"Where's your mom, Blaine? Christmas is her favorite," David asks from his spot in a waiting chair, where Wes was sitting beside him.

  
"I have no idea. I haven't heard from her in a couple weeks," He shrugs as if it was nothing.

  
"We really need to talk more," Wes says, making Blaine smile.

  
"It doesn't bother me. If she wants to spend Christmas with an empty bottle of vodka and some store bought Christmas cookies, well that's her choice,"

  
"I just hope their not the gross sugar cookie ones, even she doesn't deserve that," David jokes, bringing a smile to everyone's face, which means he succeeded.

  
"No, those are the best store bought cookies," Wes replies, nudging David's shoulder. David's jaw drops.

  
"Well, that relationship ended quickly," Thad laughs, shaking his head with laughter. Blaine chuckles, leaning back against Kurt to lay against his knee. Nicks hangs up, letting his eyes roll.

  
"Well, my mom wants Jeff and I home for dinner, so we have to split," Nick says, nudging Jeff once more, earning a loud groan.

  
"We didn't want you guys here anyway," Thad shrugs, jokingly, making Nick roll his eyes again.

  
"Please, I'm the life of the party, so, that's your loss," He shrugs, just as Jeff finally sits up. "Hey, Sleepyhead," He chuckles, pecking his cheek chastley. "We'll see you later, Blaine. Don't forget to text and call, we aren't cavemen," Nick says, getting to his feet, and helping Jeff up as well, who was still half asleep.

  
"Of course. It was nice to see you guys," Blaine says getting to his feet, and wrapping Nick in a hug first quickly followed by a tired Jeff.

  
"You too, Kurt, call us!" Nick warns, patting his shoulder, careful not to jostle Thomas too much, but he looked as if he was starting to wake up anyway. Kurt just nods.

  
"See you guys later, Warblers!" Nick calls, taking Jeff's hand in his own and starting out the door. Jeff just lays his head on Nick's shoulder, his eyes starting to droop. He must not have gotten too much sleep last night either.

  
"We should be heading off too. We have dinner at David's place," Wes says, getting to his feet.

  
"You're our ride, so we'll see you guys later too," Thad says, nodding towards Sebastian, who was already wrapping Blaine in a hug, which surprised everyone but the two of them.

  
Hugs were passed around once more, and then it was just the three of them.

  
"You never told me you were so good with kids," Blaine says, sitting back down on the couch.

  
"It never came up," Kurt shrugs, rubbing Thomas's tiny back as he started to wake. "I should go take him to-" As if on cue, Marcus was coming through the door, looking exhausted, but awake, and a coffee in hand.

  
"Hey, boys," He smiles, pulling up a chair.

  
"Just in time, he's waking up," Kurt says, passing the toddler off to Marcus who happily sets him in his lap.

  
"Morning, buddy," Marcus chuckles, petting down the boy's askew hairs. Thomas grumbles, hiding his face in Marcus's blazer. The three laugh at that.

  
"Not a morning person either, huh, bud?" Blaine chuckles. Thomas just nods, rubbing his eyes with fists.

  
"So, how's your guys' Christmas going?" Marcus asks, adjusting the little boy in his lap.

  
"Good, we just spent it watching movies with friends, they just left," Blaine says nodding towards the door. "Yours?"

  
"Exhausting. As much as I love helping people, I hate doing it on Christmas, it helps them though, and that's all I could ask for," He says, giving them a smirk. "How you feeling, Blaine?"

  
"Tired, but I'm fine,"

  
"Not what I meant. I'm a therapist, Blaine," Marcus replies, looking at the boy carefully. "Do you need a full session?"

  
"No, I'll be fine. I'm just exhausted, is all,"

  
"Yeah, I heard you almost passed out today," Marcus says raising one eyebrow higher than the other.

  
"Damien tell you? Isn't there a doctor-patient confidentiality,"

  
"It's Damien, and it was to your therapist, for your own good," Marcus replies. "He's worried about you,"

  
"I know, but you guys have no reason to be worried. I feel fine,"

  
"Blaine," Kurt says, reaching over to put his hand over his. Blaine turns back to him, and see how concerned he really was for his boyfriend. Blaine opens his mouth to say something, but he closes it, hesitates, and opens it again.

  
"I'm fine, really. I feel fine," He promises, looking Kurt dead in the eyes, but he still looked unconvinced.

  
"Why are you so reluctant to admit that you're not okay?" Marcus asks, cocking his head to the side. "This morning you said you were dizzy, you were throwing up, not sleeping well. What changed?"

 

Blaine shrugs. "I don't know, I just do. I always have," He adds helplessly, not really knowing what else to say. "Can we save this for a session?"

  
"Yeah, of course we can," He nods. Kurt just squeezes Blaine's hand tightly, and Blaine squeezes right back. "There's something else I should probably tell you," Marcus says, narrowing his eyes towards Blaine. That didn't sound good at all.

  
"Okay, go ahead," Blaine nods, unconsiciously squeezing his boyfriend's hand.

  
"They buried him yesterday," Marcus announces.

  
Blaine's face falls. He knew exactly who he was talking about. He was wondering when they would with the holiday coming up, but he didn't figure they'd do it so close to Christmas. He thought they would wait til next week.

  
"How is his family holding up?" Blaine asks, his shoulders slumping forward.

  
"His parents are handling is well. It's not a surprise, considering I can count on my hands how many times they've visited since his admission, but his brother is a wreck,"

  
"Miles said he was close with him," Blaine nods. Kurt, who was confused at first, had finally put it together when the name was said, and squeezes Blaine's hand tightly, knowing this was a rough subject for him. The last couple weeks before he passed away, the two had gotten quite close, and he knew how upset Blaine was when he told Kurt what happened. He cried in his arms for an hour straight before he just fell asleep, exhausted from crying that much in one go.

  
"Yeah, they came by and collected his things today, and I went by and seen them, well him. His parents weren't there, he said they were still at home, trying to celebrate Christmas,"

  
"How could they do it so soon?"

  
"I have no idea, but according to Henry, they were having a dinner party that night, to keep their minds off things,"

  
"They buried their son the night before," Kurt remarks, shaking his head with disbelief.

  
"I'm just as astounded as you guys are," Marcus replies, patting Thomas's back carefully, when he starts to move around restlessly.

  
"What about everyone else?" Blaine asks. "You know, the group,"

  
"Lincoln's taking it the hardest. Everyone seems to be okay, but Lincoln is crushed. He hasn't come out of his room since he passed away, and refuses to let his parents in to see him,"

  
"I didn't know he talked to his parents,"

  
"He doesn't, really, but now, all of a sudden, they care, and want to talk to him, but he won't let them in, only his nurse and I are allowed in," He explains, looking off as if he was remembering what it was like in the room. "He hasn't eaten more than a few meals, and has been throwing up, he's not doing too well. I'm hoping we can do something when group comes around and maybe cheer him up a bit," Blaine nods in agreement.

  
"Why'd they do it so close to the holidays? Why didn't they just wait?"

  
"Christmas was his favorite holiday," Marcus replies, letting out a deep breath, Blaine could see the tears starting in his eyes at the thought of the boy. "How are you doing with this, Blaine?"

  
"I'm alright, I didn't know him as well as anyone else, but he was still my friend, and I cared about him," Blaine nods along with his therapist.

  
"Promise that if you ever feel even a little sick, you'll tell someone. Please, I don't want what happened to Miles to happen to you, Blaine," Marcus leans forward, resting a hand on his knee, his face full of concern.

  
"Yeah, okay," Blaine hesitates.

  
"Good," Marcus leans back, wiping at his eyes with his fingers. "Well, I better go before I cry a river," He chuckles getting to his feet. The couple smiles. "I'll see you later, Kurt, and I'll see you later this week, Blaine," He smiles, adjusting the toddler on his hip and waving at them goodbye.

  
"These guys are so-" Blaine starts, but when he turns his head and sees Kurt with tears rushing down his cheeks, he can't help but freeze. "Honey, Kurt, what's wrong?" He asks, checking the boy for injuries, looking at him up and down, like he might be bleeding or something. Kurt shakes his head, just pulling his boyfriend in for a long, tight hug. The countertenor buries his face into Blaine's shoulder, squeezing him tightly, and Blaine just holds him. "Sweetheart?" He questions, rubbing his back lightly, both of them still carefully about his chemo needle.

  
"I can't imagine any of that happening to you," Kurt hiccups, his voice slightly muffled by Blaine's hoodie.

  
"Awe, baby," Blaine coos, pecking his cheek.

  
"I don't wanna lose you. I can't lose you," He sobs.

  
"I'm not going anywhere, honey, okay? I won't leave you," Blaine says, making a promise he really can't keep.

  
"Okay," That's all Kurt says, because he doesn't wanna hiccup on anymore words.

  
"God, I love you so much, Kurt," He sighs blissfully, kissing his cheek as if he was made of glass.

  
"I love you too, B," Kurt pulls back to look at his boyfriend in the eyes, cupping his cheeks. Blaine brings his fingers up, and brushes the tear tracks away from his face, getting rid of the moisture. "So much," Kurt whispers, leaning forward to capture his lips in a kiss. It's a totally innocent, closed mouth kiss, but it said everything that needed to be said.

  
Blaine's ringtone breaks them up, and reluctantly, Blaine leans over to look at the caller ID, he jumps when he sees it's Cooper's name flashing on the screen. He fumbles with his phone, somehow managing to his the green button.

  
"Cooper," Blaine breathes.

  
"Hey, Squirt," Cooper chuckles.

  
"I didn't know if you'd call or not," Blaine chuckles nervously, sliding his hand inside Kurt's free one, who was wiping at his cheeks with a tissue.

  
"I told you I would, and I will," Cooper replies. "Sorry I didn't call earlier, I was shooting a little,"

  
"On Christmas?"

  
"Yeah, they want the movie to be authentic, but I'm calling now," He adds.

  
"Yeah, you are,"

  
"So, how you feeling, Squirt? Did mom come see you today? She said she would,"

  
"No, she didn't, but I didn't mind because Kurt woke me up, and my friends came and visited for awhile," Blaine replies, looking up to give Kurt a wide grin.

  
"I figured Kurt would be there, that's no surprise. He practically lives there,"

  
"Yeah, he does," Blaine laughs, his smile widening at that. Kurt just scrunches his eyebrows, tilting his head to the side, but Blaine shakes his head. "And I wouldn't have it any other way,"

  
"Alright, I'll hang up if you guys get too much grosser," He could practically hear his eye roll over the phone. "I wanted to call and say Merry Christmas, brother,"

  
"Merry Christmas, Cooper," Blaine sighs with content, a large smile still planted firmly on his face.

 

 

-0-

 

 

It happened so quickly. He was smiling and even laughing on Christmas, but now he feels as if he can barely move, as if lifting his arm is a chore. He can barely keep his eyes open anymore.

  
He's freezing, but he can feel the sweat dripping down his forehead. He wants to tell someone to bring the blankets closer to his chin, but he just feels too weak or tired to do even that.

  
There's a weight on his hand, and he knows it's Kurt. He can hear nothing but Kurt's sobs, and a ringing in his ears. He's been hearing it for the past few minutes. Kurt's hands are clammy, or maybe those are his hands. The lights seem too bright, they've never bothered him before, but now they feel as if they're bright spotlights, shining directly on him.

  
Someone's now brushing something over his forehead, a freezing, damp towel. He wants to tell them to stop, but he can't even form words, he feels too weak.   
What's going on?

  
There's a voice, he can barely make out the words, but he hears a few.

  
"He...................make it," It sounds like his doctor, but he can't be sure. ".....for the worse," Next, all he can hear is Kurt sobbing loudly. He wants to tell him he's fine, but he just can't, because he doesn't feel fine. He wants to squeeze his hand back, but he doesn't think he can.

  
"Promised.........." The rest of Kurt's words go unheard, because Blaine's falling in and out of consciousnes.

  
The moment he gains strength to say anything, the bright lights leave his vision, and all he can hear is a loud beep, before everything goes away.

 

 

Blaine awake with a jolt, instantly sitting up. He looks helplessly around the room. It's still dark outside, and he could hear the faint sounds of traffic outside his window. The bright lights aren't above him, but they are in the hallway. His room was almost pitch black besides the fairy lights Kurt had set up for Christmas, which were still hanging up by the ceiling.

  
He uses his hand to touch over his chest, and he can feel that his sweatshirt is damp from sweat. He runs a hand over his bald head, and feels a few beads of sweat on top.   
"I'm alive, not dead," He repeats to himself, shutting his eyes and hanging his head, waiting for the feeling of dizziness to leave his head. He's okay, he's fine. He sucks in a few deep breaths, counting up to five when breathing in and five on the the way out, making sure he doesn't have a panic attack.

  
Slowly, he sinks back into his bed, bringing his blanket up to his chin. He doesn't think he'll cry, until he starts thinking about dying once more, and all at once, loud sobs are wracking his body, his shoulders shaking. He hides his face in his pillow, careful that a nurse won't hear him and come in, or worry about him.

  
"I don't wanna die," He sobs into his pillow, gripping at it helplessly. When his body catches up to his body, he reaches over for his phone, dialing the, oh so, familiar number. It takes six rings before he answers, and Blaine was sure he wouldn't pick up, but he does.

  
"Hello?" Kurt asks, his voice groggy from sleep.

  
"I don't wanna die, Kurt," It's the only thing he can think to say.

  
"Blaine? What's going on?" He sounds more awake this time, and this feels like a strange episode of deja vu for the two of them.

  
"I don't wanna die. I haven't done so many things. I wanna have three kids with you, and I wanna go see the Hollywood sign, I wanna-"

  
"Honey, slow down, what are you talking about?"

  
"I don't know, I-" He cuts himself off with a loud sob.

  
"Sweetheart, take deep breath, match my breathing, okay?" Kurt instructs, and for a few minutes, Blaine just listens to his boyfriend's breathing. For the first few, he's ragged and unstable, but the longer he went on, the more composure he gained, and the better he felt. "That's it, baby," Kurt encourages. "You ready to talk now?"

  
"Yeah," Blaine sniffles. "I had a dream that I was dying. You were there, and I was so scared. It felt so real. I promised you I wouldn't die, and I felt so guilty, but I couldn't tell you anything, I was too weak," He pasues, "I'm so sorry, Kurt,"

  
"What? Honey, you have nothing to be sorry for. You need to talk to someone about these nightmares, you've been having them a lot,"

  
"I know, but I don't know what to do about them. It's not like they can just remove my brain and give me a new one,"

  
"Talk to Marcus, I'm sure he can help them stop, but right now, you're gonna talk to me, okay?"

  
"Okay," Blaine hiccups, brushing at his cheeks.

  
"You're gonna be fine, Blaine, and we'll get through this. That was just a dream and that's all it ever will be, alright? You're gonna be just fine,"

  
"Alright," Blaine nods, even though Kurt can't see it. He looks down, starting to pick at his sheets, to distract himself.

  
"Are you okay now? Do you want me to sneak in and see you?"

  
"No, I'll be fine. Thank you, Kurt,"

  
"Don't make me say it again, Blaine," He says, letting out a deep sigh. "I'll be there to see you first thing in the morning, okay?"

  
"Okay," Blaine says, sniffles back his tears.

  
"I love you, and dream about rainbows and puppies for me, okay?"

  
Blaine laughs. "Okay, I will, and I love you too,"

  
With that the two of them hang up, and Blaine sets his phone back down on his nightstand. He sucks in a deep breath, wiping at his face, and curling in on his side, bringing the blankets up to his chin.

  
This time, sleep greets him like an old friend.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs:  
> I'll be Home for Christmas - Pentatonix version  
> Shake up Christmas - Train


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Coming Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is another installment. An hour from midnight, but here it is. It's been a crazy week, but I still managed to make this, so I hope you enjoy. Please leave a comment whether it be good or bad. I wanna read it. I feel like there used to be more comments on earlier chapter which makes me wonder if you guys are enjoying this as much as you used to, but tell me what you think please!

  
At the beginning of the year, Blaine did not plan on celebrating New Year's Eve in a hospital room. He figured he'd be at Kurt's, playing games with the Hummel's and maybe Rachel and Mercedes would be there. He didn't expect to be in his own hospital room, at eleven o'clock at night, the only sounds being the TV, and the regular hustle and bustle of the night shift, but at least he's with friends. 

  
Most of the New Directions were out partying at Puck's house, drinking beer and playing spin the bottle, but Rachel, Finn, Blaine, Kurt, Mercedes, and Sam were sitting in Blaine's hospital room, watching Time Square.

  
All Blaine could think about was what it would be like to spend New Year's Eve there, in Time Square with Ryan Seacrest. He would be able to cuddle up to Kurt for warmth, or wrap Kurt into his own jacket so he didn't freeze to death, and they would kiss as soon as the clock hit zero, and tell each other they loved each other, with confetti raining down on their heads, and smiles on their faces. He couldn't wait.

  
"What are you staring at?" Kurt asks, looking back from the TV to his boyfriend, who was very lost in thought. He could practically feel Blaine's stare on him. Blaine shrugs.  
"You, I can't help myself. You're just too beautiful," He smirks, making Kurt playfully shake his head, his cheeks turning a light pink. It still amazed him that he still had that effect on him. Kurt looks down at his hands, an amused grin on his face.

  
"What were you thinking about?" Kurt responds, trying to keep his cool, but Blaine could still see he was blushing like a teenager.

  
"New York City," He breathes, a small smirk playing on his lips. "With you," Kurt chuckles, hanging his head down with amusement. "It never leaves my mind anymore," He admits, leaning forward, down the couch to press a kiss to Kurt's lips, leaning his forehead against his. "It's one of the few things that keep me going,"

  
"Oh yeah?"

  
"Yeah. I imagine kissing you as soon as the clock hits zero, and confetti raining down on us, then taking you back to our loft and-"

  
"Dude, we're sitting right here," Finn groans, clearly disgusted. Blaine and Kurt laugh, and Blaine throws his head down with amusement. "That is my brother," He shakes his head.

  
"How could I forget your loud mouth, Finn?" Blaine teases, scooting closer to Kurt, and wrapping an arm around his shoulders, which Kurt automatically cuddles into. Finn shakes his head, again turning his attention back to Fergie's last song.

  
"I can't stop thinking about it either," Kurt breathes, nuzzling his nose against Blaine's long sleeve sweater. "I can't wait until we get out of here, one day, we'll be there with them," Kurt promises, looking up to Blaine, with a sure smirk on his face, which Blaine returns.

  
"I love you so much, Kurt, so much," Blaine whispers, tugging Kurt's chin up with his thumb and forefinger, so their lips meet, for a soft, tender kiss.

  
"I love you too," Kurt repeats, pecking his lips once more, chastely.

  
"We can sing better than them," Sam comments, crossing his arms over his chest, and sitting very close to Mercedes, sounding a little bitter.

  
"Of course I can," Rachel rolls her eyes at the boy, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Sam just looks at the girl, and shakes his head. She really could be insufferable sometimes.

  
"I wanna sing there one day," Mercedes sighs blissfully, admiring Mariah Carey, hitting her notes as if they were nothing, but Kurt was sure she was lip sinking.

  
"Well, even if we can't sing there, we can still sing tonight?" Finn suggests, a grin growing on his face. Kurt looks to Blaine, a large smile on his face.

  
"And I have the perfect song," Finn says, getting to his feet, and pulling out his phone. He scrolls through it, as Sam turns down the TV volume, they still had an hour until the ball dropping anyway. Finn plugs his phone into Blaine's iHome beside his bed, and turns the volume up. As soon as the beat started to play, Kurt and Blaine just chuckled.

  
"This is perfect!" Rachel gasps, jumping to her feet, and taking Finn's hands so they could dance to it. Finn starts them off, singing along the orginal group themselves.

_"Tonight the apple falls in Time_  
_We'll sing along with Auld Lang Syne_  
_And throw confetti high up into space_  
_Tomorrow morning when we wake_  
_This town will be a different place_  
_And the past will wash away like coffee stains"_

  
"Come on," Kurt says over the music, taking Blaine's hands up, and leading him to the empty space in his room. Luckily, he had gotten his chemo over with, and he was free to dance around without his needle weighing him down.

  
_"Another year will dim divine_  
_We'll play it back in slow rewind_  
_And laugh about the cold and bitter nights_  
_We'll route our way on maps of stars_  
_Hold on tight to fragile hearts_  
_And keep our friends forever by our side"_

  
Sam offers his hands, and reluctantly Mercedes take them and they start bouncing around together, Sam spinning her around every so often.

  
_"We could be kings of the world_  
_On top of the nation_  
_It's a celebration of the moments to come_  
_The city's on fire_  
_We're holding up lighters_  
_Raising them higher and we've only begun"_

  
The pair take up the next verse, singing it louder than the group, to make sure they were heard. Blaine spins Kurt around a couple times, making the countertenor laugh, and pull Blaine closer, still both moving to the music.

  
_"Morning breaks, take my hand_  
_Wide awake with arms wide open_  
_Catch your breath, walk this way_  
_No regrets on New Year's Day_  
_Morning breaks, take my hand_  
_(Kings of the world, top of the nation)"_

  
Finn and Rachel were bouncing around, Finn being extra cautious of Rachel's nose. Yes, they were in a hospital, but they really didn't want to have call out to the surgery wing of it. Blaine and Kurt slow down, Blaine losing his breath, but they pull each other close, cupping each other's cheeks, their noses pressed together, singing the last verse.

  
_"Take me all the way_  
_Hear me when I say_  
_Let's kiss the past away_  
_Like New Year's Day_  
_Take me all the way_  
_Hear me when I say_  
_It's time to celebrate_  
_Like New Year's Day"_

  
As soon as the last word is sang, Blaine pressed his lips against Kurt's, but it doesn't last long, because Blaine just couldn't hold his breath that much longer, he needed to regain himself.

  
"You okay?" Kurt chuckles, rubbing at Blaine's cheek with his thumb.

  
"Peachy," Blaine responds, staring into Kurt's eyes, but his breathing still heavy. He just didn't have the stamina he used to have since starting chemo. "You take my breath away, what can I say?"

  
"Oh my God, you just ruined the moment, I might just barf all over you," Kurt teases with a playful eye roll, but a smirk planted firmly on his lips. Blaine laughs, moving back to the couch, to really regain his composure. He reaches over, taking a long drink from his water bottle.

  
"Thank you guys, for coming here tonight. I know you guys all had plans, don't deny it, but it meant a lot that you came here anyway," Blaine says, looking around the room. Rachel was taking her seat, and Finn was claiming his phone back. Sam and Mercedes were sitting back in their original seats, but were sitting a bit closer than before.

  
"We wanted to, man. You're family," Finn replies, a smirk on his face. He pats Blaine's shoulder on his way back to his girlfriend.

  
"Yeah, the only reason Carole and Dad aren't here are because Finn and I forced them to go on a date tonight," Kurt chuckles, slipping his hand inside Blaine's and squeezing gently. Blaine smiles at that.

  
"We wouldn't be here if we didn't want to, Blaine," Sam adds. "There no other place we'd rather be," He shrugs, giving his best friend a large smile. Blaine smiles, hanging his head down, to make sure he didn't just start crying right then and there. "It's what family is for,"

  
Blaine wanted to make a remark about his parents, but he didn't want to ruin the mood, so he didn't. He just remained quiet, and nodded instead, lifting his head when he was sure he wouldn't cry. Kurt leans over, placing a quick kiss on his boyfriend's cheek, bringing a bright smile to his face.

  
"We love you," Kurt whispers, pecking the same spot once more.

  
"I love you guys too," Blaine says, turning his head, so he can look into Kurt's eyes.

  
"Is he talking about us still?" Sam asks, leaning over to Mercedes, who just nodded at him.

  
"Oh! Beyonce is coming on!" Mercedes cheers, looking back at the TV screen. Kurt pulls back from his boyfriend reluctantly, and instead leans against his chest. Blaine smiles, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, and resting his cheek against the top of Kurt's head.

  
They spend the next hour waiting for the ball drop, and talking about plans for the rest of Christmas break. Blaine wasn't really paying attention though, and was just petting Kurt's soft hair carefully, which seemed to sooth Kurt quite well, which was his intention. All he kept thinking about was what it would be like to be in New York right now, with Kurt by his side, and Finn and Rachel not far behind them. He realized he still has to finish high school, but he just wants to skip to the good part. He doesn't care about graduating next year, he just wants to move and be with his boyfriend, propose to him, and get a life, together.

  
"Babe, there's thirty seconds left," Kurt smiles, patting Blaine's on his knee. Blaine's snapped from his thoughts. Blaine leans closer, but Kurt just sits himself in Blaine's lap, cupping his cheek.

  
_thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight,_

  
"This is gonna be out best kiss yet," Kurt teases.

  
_twenty-five, twenty-four, twenty-three,_

  
God, Kurt has such beautiful eyes. Blaine could stare at them all day. They could take his bad days and make them the best ones. Every time he looked into them, they just showed love for him, and sometimes lust, but no one has ever looked at Blaine like that, and it's all he's ever wanted.

  
_Nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen,_

  
Everyone is counting around him, including Kurt, only Kurt's voice is just above a whisper. His voice was perfect. It sounded like smooth cream to his boyfriend, and it could calm him down no matter how upset he was.

  
_fourteen, thirteen, twelve, ten,_

  
Kurt was his rock. He's been there through everything, no matter what it was. His parents, his bullies, Sebastian, cancer, everything, and he's never left.

  
_seven, six, five, four,_

  
Blaine's smile grows, as his takes in the scent of his Kurt. It was like warm honey, and sugar, but it smelled like home. His smell was something he could never get past, and couldn't wait until it was spread all around their apartment no matter where he went.

  
_three, two,_

  
Kurt's his everything, without him, he feels like nothing.

  
_one_

  
Kurt's lips are on Blaine's in an instant. Confetti was blasting from the television, and everyone started cheering, but the two were too caught up in each other to care about it, or the fact that Sam had planted a wet one on Mercedes's lips. Kurt wraps his arms around Blaine's neck, and Blaine wraps his own around his waist. Their noses are pressed against one another's. Kurt's tongue dances across Blaine's lips, begging for entrance, which he of course, grants. Their tongues fight for dominance, but Blaine eventually gives up, putting up a good fight. They were out of breath, so they let go, reluctantly, but still remained in each other's arms, and Kurt still had his eyes closed, and his forehead against Blaine's.

  
"I'm so in love with you, Kurt Hummel," Blaine whispers, catching his breath still, looking at Kurt, who had red, swollen lips from the kiss. Kurt just smiles, and leans in for another kiss, saying everything he needed to say through his lips.

 

-0-

 

 

"Guys, these songs won't win us Nationals, you guys have to," Mr. Schuester says, his hands resting on his hips, and a disapproving look on his face.

  
"It's your choreography," Rachel shrugs, crossing her arms over her chest, getting her best sass on.

  
"Are we really going through this again?" Schue warns, raising one eyebrows higher than the other.

  
"Yeah, we know how that worked out," Kurt mumbles, rolling his eyes.

  
"In my defense, I was being used by cheerleaders," She responds, leaning over her boyfriend, to look at Kurt from across the stage, who just rolled his eyes.

  
"And we were being used by Sue," Santana shrugs, looking to Brittany for confirmation, who nods along, blowing a bubble with her gum, barely looking up from her phone.

  
"Whatever Santana, we know you just wanted to destroy me," Rachel snaps.

  
"No, you do that yourself, by dressing like a toddler," Santana remarks, sighing heavily, and leaning against the ballet bar at the back of the stage. Rachel gasps, quickly turning her head to her choir teacher, who rolled his eyes.

  
"Alright! Ladies!" He claps his hands together. "None of that," He adds eyeing the two of them. "Let's continue," He starts to turn around, but Mercedes stops him, but raising her hand. He nods towards her.

  
"Mr. Schue, I don't think these songs are really our style," Mercedes sighs, clearly a little out of breath from doing their routine, badly.

 

"It's not suppose to be our style. This isn't for us," Finn replies, shrugging his shoulders as if it was the most obvious thing ever.

  
"Thank you, Finn," Kurt says, using his hands to motion towards his brother.

  
"I have to agree with Mercedes," Arties says rolling up between the crowd, before sitting his hands in his lap.

  
"You guys are so selfish," Kurt shakes his head with disbelief, turning to look at his choir teacher for back up.

  
"No, not everything has to be about you and your boyfriend. It's disgusting," Santana groans, picking at her nails as she talked, as if she was too disgusted to even look at the group when she argued.

  
"You were on board with this yesterday," Kurt pulls his head back. "Plus, this wasn't my idea,"

 

"Yeah, but you egged Stripper on," Santana groans, rolling her eyes.

  
"Don't drag me into this," Sam blurts, putting his hands up.

  
"You were in this as soon as you suggested these songs. It'll put the audience to sleep," Mercedes says.

  
"You guys are impossible," Finn shakes his head.

  
"Shut up Finn," Santana barks.

  
"Are you always this mean?"

  
"Don't yell at him,"

  
"Hobbit, you should stop talking before I roast you and your ugly ass reindeer sweaters,"

  
"Santana!"

  
"I have to agree though, these songs really aren't that good. We shouldn't do them,"

  
"Wow, you people are impossible, you're so inconsiderate,"

  
"Kurt, you're so pussy whipped by your boyfriend at this point, if he liked the Seasme Street theme song, you'd enjoy it,"

  
"I'm about to rip your weave right from your head,"

  
"I'll help,"

  
"You rip my weave, and I'll rip your giant nose off,"

  
"Guys!"

  
"Bad timing?" Everyone stops their argueing to look beyond the stage and into the audience.

  
"Blaine?" Kurt can't help the surprised smile cross his face.

  
"In the flesh," Blaine smiles, coming closer to the stage. Kurt gasps, and Santana just rolls her eyes as he jumps off the stage to greet him.

  
"What are you doing here?" Kurt chuckles, placing a quick kiss on Blaine's lips.

  
"They said I was doing well, and wanted to give me a night off. I of course had to beg for it, but it was worth it," He shrugs. He looked like he might just freeze to death though.  
His skin was cold to Kurt's fingers, and he was bundlded up in a beanie, winter jacket over a sweatshirt, a plaid scarf, and a pair of sweatpants. His hands were stuffed deep inside his jacket pockets as well.

  
"Who took you? Did your mom come see you?"

  
"No, your dad picked me up, after I called him, and he had to call my mom to make sure she was okay with it,"

  
"So you talked to her then?" Blaine's smile fades.

  
"No, she wouldn't pick up my calls, but she did answer to Burt," He replies, his voice quiet. Kurt's face falls, but instead of making things worse, he just pecks Blaine's lips once more, and gives him a sure smile.

  
"Come on, we're rehearsing for Nationals," He says, his smile returning. Blaine smiles back and let's Kurt take his hand in his own to help him up the stage.

  
"You need to come back, all we do is fight without you," Puck mumbled, sighing heavily. Blaine chuckles, wrapping his arms around Kurt's one to try and steal his body heat.

  
"I'd love to if I could," He sighs.

  
"Did you wanna get out of here? We can go get something to eat?" Kurt offers, but Blaine shakes his head.

  
"No, I wanna watch you guys rehearse. Even if I can't perform, I still miss it," He replies, looking around the room at everyone. "So, what's your setlist?" Everyone freezes, looking around at each other.

  
"We can't disclose that information yet," Rachel replies, crossing her arms. Blaine looks around strangely, but slowly nods.

  
"Okay," He scrunches his brow, but doesn't say anything else.

  
"Why don't you sing with us though?" Finn offers, patting the boy's shoulder.

 

"Yes!" Kurt exclaims happily. Blaine laughs, tossing his back.

  
"As long as I don't over work myself, alright," He shrugs.

  
"Well, what do you want to sing?" Sam asks, putting his hands on his hips.

  
"Whatever," Blaine shrugs.

  
"Well, that gives free range, so we'll see how you keep up," Rachel teases, whispering a song into Brad's ear. He nods, and Rachel goes to the band, who were watching everything from the back. "Ready?"

  
"As I'll ever be," Blaine replies, removing his winter jacket, to leave him a in a sweatshirt. He clears his throat out. Rachel leans against the piano, starting out the Walk The Moon song.

 

_"Oh don't you dare look back._  
_Just keep your eyes on me."_  
_I said, "You're holding back,"_  
_She said, "Shut up and dance with me!"_  
_This woman is my destiny_  
_She said, "Ooh-ooh-hoo,_  
_Shut up and dance with me."_

  
Blaine nods knowingly, and picks up the next verse, making sure his vocal chords were ready.

  
_"We were victims of the night,_  
_The chemical, physical, kryptonite_  
_Helpless to the bass and the fading light_  
_Oh, we were bound to get together,_  
_Bound to get together."_

  
He starts with singing to Rachel, but quickly turns around to take Kurt's hands in his own and spin him around making him giggle as Kurt takes up the next verse. Everyone else starts dancing, even Mr. Schue.

  
_"Oh, don't you dare look back._  
_Just keep your eyes on me."_  
_I said, "You're holding back,_  
_She said, "Shut up and dance with me!"_  
_This woman is my destiny_  
_She said, "Ooh-ooh-hoo,_  
_Shut up and dance with me."_

  
Kurt moves around his boyfriend, never letting his hands go, as he looked like he could use some support. Yes, he was allowed a night off from chemo, but he still didn't look healthy.

  
_"Deep in her eyes,_  
_I think I see the future._  
_I realize this is my last chance."_

  
Everyone stops, singing the last verse together. Kurt stops, wrapping his arms around Blaine's shoulders, and pulling him, closer to himself.

  
_""Don't you dare look back._  
_Just keep your eyes on me."_  
_I said, "You're holding back,"_  
_She said, "Shut up and dance with me!"_  
_This woman is my destiny_  
_She said, "Ooh-ooh-hoo,_  
_Shut up and dance with me."_  
_Ooh-ooh-hoo, shut up and dance with me,"_

  
When they finish the song, Blaine's breathing heavily, and Kurt can't help but feel a little guilty that they dragged him into singing, but he was smiling.

  
"And you're still one of the best singers in the room," Kurt admires, running his thumb across the cheek that didn't have the feeding tube taped to. Blaine chuckles, hanging his head down.

  
"You flatter me," He replies, a bright smile on his face. Blaine blinks a few times, suddenly not feeling so good.

  
"Blaine?" Kurt asks, holding onto to him tightly. "Do you wanna sit?" Kurt's smile fades instantly. Everyone else was still catching their breathes, but they noticed how pale Blaine was really looking, who nods at Kurt's question.

  
In an instant, Mr. Schuester is pulling up a chair, just as Blaine collapses into it.

  
"Have you been drinking water?" Kurt asks, grabbing his own water bottle from his bag as the edge of the stage, and handing it to him.

  
"Yeah, I have," He retorts, with a little bit of bite in his tone. Kurt doesn't take it personally though. He knows he's just frustrated with the situation. Blaine takes the bottle from his boyfriend's hands reluctantly, and starts drinking from it. When he tries to put it back down Kurt tips is back up, making Blaine roll his eyes.

  
"No offense, but how did they let you out?" Tina asks, crossing her arms over her chest, worry filling her facial features. Blaine finally sets Kurt's water bottle in his lap, and sighs heavily.

  
"Well, I finished my fifth week of this chemo round, and they're giving me a night off, because they're hitting it harder on Monday," Blaine replies.

  
"Harder? Are they insane?" Kurt retorts, his jaw practically hitting the floor. Blaine rolls his eyes, not at Kurt but at his doctors.

  
"They just want me to get better, but I'm not looking forward to it," He shrugs. "I don't have to go back until tomorrow morning. Nine AM sharp,"

  
"Do you need a place to stay? You can crash at my house," Kurt offers, a small smile grazing his features, and Blaine couldn't help but smile a little at his boyfriend.

  
"No, I'm hoping to talk to my mom a little bit. If she won't come to me, I'll go to her," Blaine says, sighing heavily.

  
"Okay, just call me before you go to bed, alright?" Kurt says, practically forgetting they were still in rehearsal.

  
"I never forget," Blaine smiles, making Kurt's face light up. Blaine looks at the watch on his wrist. "I should get going, Kurt can you give me a ride?"

  
"Of course," Kurt nods, a bright smile on his face. Realization comes across his face, and he turns to Mr. Schue, who has a matching smile on his lips, and nods without having to think about it twice. "Thank you," Kurt adds.

  
"Of course. Just be careful, alright?"

  
"Always," Kurt says, running over to his things, and grabbing his bag, and the other things that have fallen out. He grabs his coat, slipping it on over his jumpsuit. Blaine gets to his feet, slowly, and grabs his own jacket, Kurt's water still in hand.

  
"Thank you guys, and I'll see you guys later," Blaine smiles, waving at them, before slipping his hand through Kurt's, getting his help off the stage, stumbling when his feet his the floor, but Kurt caught him.

  
"Bye!" Kurt calls, tugging on his boyfriend's hand through the door and out to his Navigator. "Where we going?"

  
"The cemetery," Blaine replies, getting into the passenger's seat.

  
"Why are we going there?" Kurt asks, setting his bag in the backseat, but making sure to take his phone and keys out from the front pocket.

  
"Miles," Blaine replies simply, and Kurt knows what he's talking about.

 

"Where's he buried?" Kurt asks, strapping himself in with his seatbelt.

  
"It's halfway to my house. The one of the corner of Elm and 8th," Blaine says, buckling his seat belt as well. "That's okay, right? I know it's kind of out of your way,"

  
"It's fine. I get it. My mom is buried there too," Kurt nods, putting the car in drive, as Blaine starts messing with the radio to find the perfect song to sing their hearts out to, but her freezes at Kurt's words.

  
"Why have you never taken me to go see her?"

  
"I didn't think you wanted to," He shrugs casually, pulling out from the parking lot.

  
"Of course I want to," Blaine nods quickly, reaching over the center console to lace their fingers together. Kurt's shoulders relax, and his heart warms.

  
"Okay, I'll show you,"

 

 

-0-

 

 

"This is her," Kurt says, letting out a deep breath, bundling up tight to his coat. He nods towards the aging headstone.

  
_Elizabeth L. Tyler-Hummel_  
_7-20-68 - 5-17-03_  
_Wife, Mother, Sister, Daughter_

  
It was starting to fade at this point, but it still looked as if someone had visited it regularly, and Blaine couldn't help but wonder if it was Kurt. He doesn't really talk about his mom, but he has said that she was one of the most fabulous people he'll ever meet. The stone was a light burgundy color, with a grey, engraved writing. Engraved roses filled the corners, and it rose off the ground by a couple of inches.

  
Blaine looks between his boyfriend and the grave, seeing the in thought look on Kurt's face. He scrunches his brow, before kneeling down on the ground.

  
"What are you doing?" Kurt asks, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, trying to gain some heat.

  
"Don't worry about it," Blaine shrugs, dusting off her headstone a little, and clearing his throat. "Hi, my name's Blaine, and I really wish I had the chance to meet you, but Kurt says you were amazing, so I'll take his word for it, because he's never let me down before,"

  
"Blaine?"

  
"I just want you to know that Burt and I are taking great care for him, and you've done an amazing job with him. He's my everything, and I hope you know just how loved he really is," Blaine smiles a bit. "I know I'm sick, but I have no intention of letting him down, so don't worry about him. I'll take care of him, forever,"

  
Before he can react, Kurt is kneeling beside him, and wrapping his arms around him, pressing a tender kiss to his cheek.

  
"Thank you," Kurt whispers in his ear, nuzzling his freezing cold nose against Blaine's skin, carefully not to jostle his feeding tube too much. Blaine turns his head, letting his forehead rest against Kurt's.

  
"Don't thank me," Blaine replies, pecking his lips chastely. Kurt has tears in his eyes, but he tries to ignore them, just brushing them away before they could fall. They stare at each other for a few more seconds, before turning back to the gravestone. "What was she like?"

  
"The best person to ever walk the Earth," Kurt says quickly, not needing much time to even think. "She was sweet, kind, nurturing, funny, loving, and the best mother anyone could ever ask for," He adds, leaning his head on his boyfriend's shoulder. "I used to perform for her,"

  
"Perform what?"

  
"Any songs that I felt like singing. Sometimes it would be the theme song to Blue's Clues, and other times it would be country songs my dad would play," He stops, chuckling at the memory. "I used to wear her high heels, sunglasses, the biggest hat I could find, and her pearls, and I would use her hairbrush as a microphone. We would 'rehearse' in my room, and then we'd go downstairs and I would do it for my dad too,"

  
Blaine's smiling like he never has before. He can only imagine seven year old Kurt doing that, and Burt watching. Hopefully, their child will look just like that.

  
"You always have loved floppy hats," Blaine chuckles, nudging Kurt's shoulder slightly, earning a laugh from him.

  
"She was beautiful too. Probably the prettiest woman I've ever seen," Kurt sighs contently, his smile fading slightly.

  
"Explain her," Blaine eggs on, a small smile on his lips, listening to Kurt talk about his mother was like music to his ears. Burt and Elizabeth sound like the parents he can only wish he had.

  
"Well, she had long blonde hair. It was down to the middle of her back and she would always wear it half pulled back and a hair clip in. She had bright blue eyes like I have now, and her smile could light up a room. She never wore makeup, but she didn't need to, because she was too beautiful for it," He says, rubbing his cheek against Blaine's shoulder, trying to steal his warmth. Blaine's smile grows.

 

"So are you,"

  
"Shut up," Kurt says, shifting slightly.

  
"I mean it. You are stunning, absolutley perfect," He shakes his head. Silence.

  
"I love you so much, Blaine," Kurt sniffled, tears starting to fall down his cheeks. Blaine smiles, pecking the top of his hair, and whispering.

  
"I love you too,"

  
"Alright, let's go see Miles," He says wiping at his eyes.

 

"You're sure?"

 

"Yeah," Kurt nods, getting to his feet.

  
"Alright," He nods. "It was nice meeting you Mrs. Hummel," Blaine adds, giving the headstone a smile, before Kurt helped him off the ground.

  
"Bye Momma," Kurt says, lacing his finger through Blaine's and turning back to head to the other side of the cemetery. "Thank you for that," Kurt sniffles, squeezing Blaine's hand tightly.

  
"I wanted to," He shrugs, squeezing his hand right back, which allows Kurt's shoulders to relax slightly. "Do you come see her often?"

  
"Sometimes. Maybe every couple weeks or so. Sometimes, before I go see you, I'll stop here and see her," Kurt explains, letting out a deep breath. Blaine nods slowly. "Don't get me wrong, I love Carole, but I miss my mom everday,"

  
"That's normal. Carole's amazing, but she's not your mom, and she never will be, and that's okay," Blaine comforts with a small smile, leaning over to press a quick kiss to Kurt's ice cold cheek. Kurt smiles at him.

  
"How did I get so lucky to have you?"

  
"I wouldn't consider you lucky. I have cancer," Blaine chuckles a little, but Kurt stops, tugging on Blaine's hand as you did.

  
"Honey," He breathes, pulling on Blaine's hand, for him to come back, but Blaine was refusing. He didn't have a lot of strength in him, but he had enough, because Kurt was tugging too hard on him. "Blaine, come on, look at me," Kurt begs, trying again, and this time succeeding. Blaine has tears in his eyes and his voice is thick with them.

  
"Why are you with me?" He shrugs, allowing Kurt to pull him closer.

 

"Because I love you. That's why. I always will, even if I didn't want to, I don't think I could stop loving you," Kurt replies, cupping his face in his gloved hands.

  
"Why though? I could die, Kurt. Look at Miles! He was fine one day, and dying the next! What if that happens to me? I keep saying I'm going to make it, but I don't know that! Miles thought he would make it too, but he didn't! He's gone, and I could be next. Why would you stay knowing that? I just-I-"

  
"Baby, stop," Kurt begs, tears now falling down his cheeks as well. "I don't want you to die, not at all, but if I leave knowing you need me, it would kill me. You are the love of my life, and that's final. You're my endgame, you're my soulmate, and I don't care if you have cancer, because you're still the man I fell in love with, okay? I can't just forget about you, and walk away, I can't and I won't. I will never leave you, ever," Kurt promises, looking into his boyfriend's eyes for the longest time before Blaine nods slowly, hanging his head down.

  
"Okay," He whispers. Kurt's shoulders relax and he pulls him in for a tight hug, rubbing his back and the back of his head carefully.

  
"Now come on, before it gets too dark," Kurt sniffled, wiping his tears away with his fingers before they can freeze on his face. Blaine nods, letting Kurt pull him towards the place Marcus had told them about earlier in the week.

  
The grave is still very new, the grass hasn't grown in, due to the cold, and the headstone was still nice and shiny. Blaine shakes his head with disbelief.

  
"He's right here, holy shit," Blaine breathes. Kurt squeezes his hand tightly, to let him know he was still there.

  
"Yeah, he is," Kurt confirms. Blaine releases Kurt's hands briefly to kneal down in front of the headstond.

  
_Miles T. Jameson_  
_10-5-94 - 12-15-12_  
_Son, Brother, Grandson_

The stone was dark grey, and the engraving piece was a light color. There weren't any designs on it, but it still said 'Miles' to Blaine.

  
"I can't believe he died so young," Kurt comments, shaking his head.

  
"Yeah, me neither," Blaine mumbles.

  
"His initials were MJ," Kurt can't help the small smile that grazes his lips, and Blaine follows suit at the realization. They look at each other briefly, but their smiles felt wrong, so they quickly faded.

  
"I don't want that to be me," Blaine admits, looking at the headstone, deep in thought.

  
"You won't. I won't let you," Kurt smiles, knealing beside him, and wrapping his arms around Blaine's one. Blaine returns the smile, resting his cheek against he top of Kurt's head.

  
"I hope not," Blaine breathes, biting his bottom lip carefully. "I'm scared. No, I'm horrified. I don't want to leave you, and Cooper, and Burt, and Finn, and everyone else,"

  
"I know," Kurt doesn't know what to say, he's done so much comforting that he doesn't know if he should say anything at all. "You can't worry about it though,"

  
"How can I not?"

  
"Miles didn't. He didn't let it show anyway. You just have to take things as they come, alright? There's nothing else you can do," Kurt shrugs. Blaine nods slowly, agreeing after thinking for a minute.

  
"You're right,"

  
"I know,"

  
Blaine chuckles, leaning over to press a kiss to the top of his head.

  
"I never got to meet him, properly," Kurt sighs heavily. "But, I heard he was a pretty great person,"

  
"He was. You'd like him," Blaine adds. They didn't know what else to say. There was nothing really left to be said. The wound was still open, and it all just felt too soon, to new to them yet.

 

 

-0-

 

 

"Are you sure you don't wanna stay at my house tonight?" Kurt asks once more putting the car in park as the pulled into the Anderson household.

  
"Yeah, I need to talk to my mom. I wanna know what's going on," He scoffs, unbuckling his seat belt as he did so. Kurt sighs, resting his hand over Blaine's and squeezing.

  
"It'll work out, okay?" Kurt assures him, giving him a sincere smile. Blaine nods slowly.

  
"I love you, and you're picking me up tomorrow morning, right?"

  
"Yeah, eight thirty sharp," He says, leaning over to press a kiss to his lips. "I love you too," He says, a small smile playing on his lips. When he pulls back, Blaine gives his hand one last squeeze, before getting out the car, and slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

  
Kurt waits for Blaine to get to the door, and for Blaine to wave goodbye to him before he pulled out and left Blaine alone.

  
He didn't have to knock, because the door was unlocked, which Blaine couldn't figure out if it was a good thing or not.

  
"Hello? Mom?" He calls, setting his bag down beside the door, and kicking off his black boat shoes.

  
No answer.

  
Her car was in the driveway, so where is she?

  
"Mom?" Blaine calls again, taking off his coat and hanging it on it's rightful hook. He walks further through the foyer, entering the kitchen. All the lights were on, but his mother was no where to be found. He goes to walk up the stairs, but he hears a glass being slammed down on a table. He stops dead in his tracks, swallowing thickly.

  
"Blaine," His voice is like thunder, deep and thick with alcohol. Blaine doesn't move. He doesn't know what to do. "Come here,"

  
"You know, I'm really tired, I think I'm just going to-"

  
"Sit down, Blaine," James says again, this time his jaw clenched together with anger. Blaine sucks in a breath, in through his nose and out through his mouth. He slowly moves from the staircase and moves across the kitchen, to the dining room.

  
"Hi, Dad," Blaine clears his throat.

  
James is sitting at the end of the dining room table, with a glass of whiskey in hand. His suit jacket is falling from his shoulders, and his purple and dark blue tie is just hanging around his neck. His dark hair is disheveled, looking as if he hasn't touched it in a few days. He takes a long sip from his drink, smacking his lips together, before saying anything else.

  
"Sit down," He orders.

  
Scared to do anything else, the former Warbler slowly sits down, pulling out the cherry oak colored chair. He sits down, folding his arms in front of himself.

  
"The tube is new," James says slowly, squinting his eyes down at the boy. Blaine brings a hand to the feeding tube on his cheek. He promised he would eat something tonight, it was one of the only ways he was able to come home, but he still hasn't gotten around to it yet.

  
"Yeah, they put it in the night you left," He says, clearing his throat out once more, and shifting in his seat. His voice is quiet, fragile sounding.

  
"How have you been?"

  
"What?"

  
"I asked how you've been?" James repeats. It should be friendly banter, but his firm frown and deep voice sound anything but friendly.

  
"Fine,"

  
"Where have you been?"

  
"The hospital," He answers calmly. He wanted to ask where he's been, but he doesn't say anything at all, knowing he would get his ass kicked if he did.

  
"Why? You look fine,"

  
Blaine wants to smack him in his face, but he doesn't. He just nods slowly.

  
"Can I go to bed now?"

  
"No,"

  
"Where's Mom?"

  
"Out,"

  
"Why?"

  
James smacks his hand loudly against the table, making Blaine flinch, and pull back.

  
"Are you done asking questions, yet? Or am I going to have to hit you?"

  
"I'm done," Blaine mutters, quietly, refusing to look James in the eye.

  
"What was that?!" James shouts, pushing out of his chair to get to his feet.

  
"I said I'm done," Blaine says louder, closing his eyes to try and steady his shaking hands.

  
"Good," James sits himself back down in his chair, taking a long sip from his drink. "How's Kurtis?"

  
"Kurt, and he's fine,"

  
"He's still talking to your ugly ass?"

  
Blaine tightens his jaw, nodding slowly. James's upper lip turns over in disgust.

  
"So, you just don't wanna talk to your Dear Old Daddy anymore, huh?"

  
Blaine doesn't know what to say anymore, so he just remains where he was, with his eyes locked onto the dining room table wood, not knowing what else to do.

  
"Look at me," He mutters. Blaine's breathing gets rapid. "Look at me!" He screams. Blaine jumps back, finally looking up at his father. "No texts, no calls, no visits, no nothing from you, and you walk into my house like you own the place? Like you live here? What the hell is the matter with you?" He's back on his feet, leaning over the table.

  
"Where were your texts and calls? I didn't fall off the face of the Earth, Dad," He instantly pays for his words when James's hand comes across his face, knocking his head to the side, and sending him stuttering in his chair. He doesn't look back up at him.

  
"I wish you did," He whispers in Blaine's ear, his lips turned with disgust for his son. "Back talk me again, and I'll have to kill you, got it?" Blaine nods slowly. "Got it?!" He shouts.  
"Yes sir," Blaine says, his voice cracking in the last word.

  
"Glad we came to an understanding," He pulls back from his son, drinking from his glass once more. They remain in silence for a few more seconds. "I told Kurtis to stay the fuck away from you. He's really just asking for it. I ought to just go down there and kill him now," He scoffs, putting a hand in his slacks' pocket and shaking his head.

  
"No!" Blaine shouts, his voice loud with fear.

  
"What did you just say?" James looks to his son, one eyebrow higher than the other.

  
"Hit me as much as you want, but leave him alone. He doesn't deserve-" Before he can get out what he wanted to say, his dad's glass was being thrown against the wall. Blaine covers his head with his hands, thinking he was going to get the glass thrown at his own head.

  
"Don't ever tell me what to do!" His voice is so loud, that he's practically growling his words. Blaine flinched, pulling back in his chair. "What did I tell you I'd do if you back talked me again?"

  
"You'd kill me," Blaine swallows thickly, sucking in a deep, slow breath. James makes a break for Blaine, but the singer gets up from his chair, making a break for the doorway. He makes it a few steps before he's being pulled back but his shoulder and tossed to the floor. His father starts to pace in front of him, and Blaine's too shocked and out of breath to do anything.

  
"Wow, I knew you were a fag, disgusting, prissy, and annoying but I never took you for stupid, Blaine," James replies. Tears starting gathering in Blaine's eyes, no matter how hard he tried to hold them back. "This is what I mean. God, you're such a wimp," He shakes his head with amusement. The man kneels down in front of him, raising his hand, and striking Blaine's face, which practically sends him back down to the floor. Chemo made him ten times weaker than he used to be.

  
"Please, don't. Just let me go. I'll leave. I'll go somewhere else. I'll go to Kurt's, just-" Another slap. James gets back to his feet, putting his foot over Blaine's chest, starting to press down.

  
"Why would you want to go over to Kurt's house? Here is perfectly fine. You have your dear old daddy here, remember?" He presses down harder, taking the air from Blaine's lungs, causing him to cry out.

  
"Please!" Blaine cries out, trying to lift James's dress shoed foot off of him, but he's too strong for him anymore. At his son's words, he presses down harder. Blaine's gasping for breath at this point, his chest aching and bruising with every second.

  
"This is just too easy," James laughs, pushing down a little harder. "I could just kill you," He pauses to press down ever harder, "but that's too easy," He lifts his foot reluctantly, leaving Blaine gasping for breath, and attempting to curl up on his side, but James rips him back, moving him to his back, so his can use his fist to hit his face. "You're such a pussy!" He shouts, spit hitting Blaine's skin.

  
"Please, just-" The two words cause another hit to the face, but James throws him back to the floor, and Blaine collapses instantly, curling up to try and protect himself. He looks around for a way out.

  
"God, I thought your brother was horrible, but you are so much worse. At least Cooper didn't raise my bills up so high," He scoffs. He starts to pace up and down in front of Blaine, who was still breathless, hurting, and dizzy. His father is still talking, but he isn't paying any attention to Blaine anymore, just slurring words, and his voice loud and angry.

  
Without thinking anymore, as James comes back around, Blaine sticks his foot out, which sends James falling to the ground. Blaine gets to his feet, running to the front door. He grabs his bag and shoes, and books it out the door, ignoring the way his father yells after him.

  
All his adrenilene is being put into his run. He books it our of his driveway, and down the street. He has no idea how he's running, and losing his father, but he is. He's still barefoot, and he doesn't have a coat, and he doesn't know where he's going, but he feels better than what he did ten minutes ago.

  
Blaine doesn't stop until he trips over a stone on the sidewalk, sending him fall flat on his chest, which makes him hiss in pain. He rolls over onto his back, and starts sobbing loudly, as if nobody can hear him.

  
"Think," he whispers to himself, closing his eyes to suck in a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "Think, Blaine," He reaches over to his bag, picking it up from the ground, and slowly, getting to his feet, his energy now gone. He could barely get up anymore. He has to look around for his shoes, them having slipped out of his hands when he tripped. One was in the middle of the sidewalk, and the other had went flying to the side of the road. He slips them both on, and looks around. He's at the end of his street, but he doesn't see his father coming after him. He searches through his bag, pulling out his phone.

  
His fingers are shaking as he dials a familiar number, putting it up to his ear.

  
"Blaine?" Kurt's voice is soon filling his ears, and lets out a loud sob of relief. "Blaine, what's wrong?"

  
"I need you to come get me," Blaine manages, running a hand over his face.

  
"Where are you?" It's all he needs to ask.

  
"The end of my street, please hurry. I'm freezing and I'm scared," Blaine sobs loudly, sinking down to the floor.

  
"I'm coming, Baby. Hold tight, okay?"

  
"Okay," He manages, bringing his knees tight to his chest, and resting his cheek against the top of his knees.

  
"I love you, and I'll be there as soon as I can," Kurt repeats.

  
"I love you too," Blaine whispers before hanging up himself. He tosses his phone back into his bag and waits for his boyfriend, continuing to look down the street to see if his dad was following him, or looking for him.

 

By the time Kurt arrives, all of Blaine's energy is gone. He can't feel anything anymore. He's freezing, and his body and head feel numb. Kurt's Navigator pulls up, and he almost forgets to put it in park before he's jumping out.

  
"Jesus, Blaine," Kurt whispers, automatically removing his coat to cover Blaine's shoulders. "Come on, let's get you in the car," He takes his hands, helping him up, but as soon he's up, he falls into Kurt's arms, sobbing into his shirt.

  
"You were right, I shouldn't have come home. I should have stayed," Blaine manages, hiding his face in the fabric of his sweater.

  
"Shh, you're okay, baby. You're fine. I got you now," Kurt comforts, rubbing his back carefully. "Let's get you in the car, okay?" Blaine nods numbly, allowing Kurt to walk him over to the passenger side, and let him slide in. Kurt hurries back over to his side, and gets in. The first thing he does is reach over to turn the heat on full blast. If Blaine shivering meant anything, it meant he was just as cold as he looked. "I'm going to take you to the hospital, okay?" He goes to put the car in drive, but Blaine stops him.

  
"No!"

  
"No? Blaine, look at yourself. You could have gotten sick, you're beaten up, what if something happened. This isn't like the usual black eye or so from him, Blaine. You have cancer now, you're weaker you're-"

  
"I know. I know all of that, but I was promised a night at home, so I wanna go home, with you," Blaine sniffles, but it didn't seem to help one bit. Kurt sighs heavily, and against better judgement nods. He can never say no when to Blaine, ecspeically when he looks so hurt like this.

  
"Fine," Kurt sighs heavily, shaking his head. He can't believe he's doing this. He puts the car in drive and starts to drive away, passing the Anderson home on the way back. Kurt can't help himself, he puts up his middle finger as they go by, hoping to a God he doesn't believe in, that James somehow saw it.

  
The entire ride home, Blaine is laying his head against Kurt's shoulder, still allowing Kurt to drive, but only lifting it when he has to. The ride allows him time to calm down a bit, which just makes him feel more tired and weak. The pain in his head was throbbing at this point, and he swears he can still feel his father's foot on his chest, pressing down as hard he possibly could.

  
Kurt was just trying to not cry. Blaine was the one hurting, not him. He could cry tonight to Carole or his dad, but not to Blaine, not when he needed him like this. He needed to get him back to his house, cleaned up, and in bed, so he'll feel up to going back to the hospital tomorrow morning.

  
They were silent almost the entire way there. They had to talk about what happened tonight, but Blaine didn't wanna talk, and Kurt didn't wanna know.

  
When they finally pulled up to the Hummel home, Carole was standing on the porch beside her husband, wrapped up in a sweater, and her hospital scrubs from earlier in the day. Burt was beside her in his usual flannel shirt and pair of jeans, his hands tucked into his pockets.

  
"They heard me on the phone with you, and they were worried," Kurt says, noticing the way Blaine was staring at them with guilt. "It's okay," Kurt comforts, leaning over to press a kiss to his temple. Blaine nods numbly. His boyfriend sighs heavily, but eventually gets out the car, hurrying over to Blaine's side. He opens up the door, and takes his hand out. Blaine's head spins as soon as his feet hit the pavement, and Kurt has to steady him.

  
Carole hurries off the steps, shutting the door behind the pair, and Burt holds the door open for the two of them. Blaine was leaning heavily onto Kurt, feeling ten times weaker than he felt sitting on the curb, waiting for him. Tears had stained his cheeks, causing the red marks on his face to burn, and his left eye and bleeding lip were pulsing with pain.

  
"Can you make it up the stairs?" Kurt asks, stopping at the bottom of the steps to turn and look at his beaten boyfriend. Blaine nods, using the railing and Kurt's support to help him up the steps. Carole and Burt were right behind them. They finally make it to the bathroom, and Kurt sets Blaine down on the edge of the bathtub. Carole quickly reaches into the medical cabinet and starts getting supplies to clean him up.

  
"We should have done something," Burt scoffs, shaking his head. "A week ago-"

  
"Dad," Kurt snaps, looking to him, his jaw clenched. Now was not the time to tell Blaine about what happened at the garage. Burt shut his mouth though, noting Kurt's look. The countertenor clears his throat, turning back to his boyfriend.

  
"Is it just you face, sweetie?" Carole asks, dabbing a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol.

  
"Just a bruise on my chest," Blaine murmurs, his voice just above a whisper. The three exchange a glance.

  
"Honey, take your shirt off real quick," Carole says, setting the first-aid kit down on the counter. Blaine nods slowly, and removing his long sleeve shirt, careful not to rip out his tube on accident.

  
Along his chest was a mark on his chest, just as he said there would be, in the faint shape of a dress shoe. Kurt's eyes go wide, and Burt's mouth practically falls to the floor.

  
"Okay," Carole says, being the only one to keep it together, and she just looks at his back, noting a couple more marks, and moves to dab as his lip. "Kurt, why don't you go get some clothes for him,"

  
"Okay," Kurt nods, getting to his feet and rushing off to his bedroom.

  
"I'm sorry. I know it's late and-"

  
"Stop that," Burt says, his voice firm. Blaine looks up from his hands, and up at him, but doesn't say anything. Carole dabs the cotton ball on Blaine's lip, causing him to his and pull back slightly, but allows her to do it again, to clean it up as best as possible.

  
It doesn't take more than a few minutes for Carole to clean him up, and for Kurt to come back with a change of clothes.

 

"Alright, we'll let you guys get changed in bed," Carole sighs, getting up from her kneeling position and putting her supplies back in the medicine cabinet.

  
"Dad-" Kurt starts, but Burt doesn't let him finish.

  
"Go ahead," Burt nods, knowing what he was going to ask. Kurt smiles lightly.

  
"Thank you," Kurt says, setting Blaine's clothes on the counter, who was still sitting on the edge of the bathtub, playing with his thumbs.

  
"Well, goodnight boys, sleep well," Burt says, letting out a deep breath. "We love you, both of you,"

  
Blaine looks up at that, his eyebrows raising slightly, but a small smile appearing on his lips.

  
"Love you too," Kurt says back, getting a quick peck on the cheek from Carole, as did Blaine, and watching them leave. "Ready for bed?" Kurt asks looking to his boyfriend, who still looked horribly beat up, but less physically and more emotionally. Blaine nods, his shoulders relaxing. Kurt takes his hands up, helping him get changed into his pajama bottoms and long sleeve shirt. "I have extra blankets," Kurt winks, taking his hand and leading him into his bedroom.

  
Blaine sat himself down on the edge of the bed, and crawled in, curling up against the blankets, while Kurt got changed into his own pajamas. Kurt then crawled in as well, pulling Blaine flush to his chest, holding on tightly.

  
"I'm so glad you're okay," Kurt whispers, pecking the back of his neck with his warm lips.

  
"Me too," Blaine whispers, fending off his own tears, and instead taking Kurt's hand that was wound around his chest, and squeezing tightly.

 

When Blaine woke up the next morning, he felt warm for once. It was weird because usually his room was freezing and it always felt cold. Today was different, he felt as if he lying in a bundle of blankets, but he was at the hospital, so that can't be.

  
His hazel eyes flickered open, and he saw a vanity, that he's seen Kurt sit at a countless amount of times. It took a him a minute to remember what happened the night before, but when he did, the pain in his chest, and his headache were back. He blinks his eyes a few more times, yawning and looking around the room. Of course, Kurt was nowhere to be around, and if the time on the clock was anything to go by, he's been up for awhile.

  
Kurt was always a morning person, having to get up early for school to look fabulous made him that way, and sometimes Blaine hated it. Today was one of those days. He sits up relcutantly, swinging his legs over the bed. They've slept in the same bed before, so doing this shouldn't feel very special, but Blaine couldn't help the smile on his face when he remembered the way the curled up with each other the night before.

  
He groans, getting to his feet, having to use the nightstand for support before he fell down from dizziness, but he eventually steadied himself enough to make his way out the bedroom door. He rubs at his eyes on his way down, hissing when he rubbed his left one, really feeling the bruise this morning.

  
By the time he got down the steps, he could hear Burt and Kurt talking in the kitchen. Well, more Kurt, but every once in a while Burt would say something. He pushed open the door and saw Kurt leaning against the counter, with his phone to his ear, and Carole and Burt were sitting at the kitchen table, enjoying their morning coffee.

  
"Cooper he's still sleeping, you have to-" Kurt groans, rolling his eyes, when he looks back he sees Blaine, and his shoulders relax. "He's right here, so stop screaming," Kurt adds, handing the phone off to his boyfriend.

  
"Hey Coop,"

  
"Jesus Squirt," Cooper sighs heavily in relief. "Are you alright?"

  
"I'm fine, I-"

  
"Don't say you're fine! How are you feeling?"

  
"Sore, but really Cooper, I'm alright," Blaine nods slowly, even though he couldn't see it. The three of them were watching him carefully.

  
"Blaine you can't scare me like that. I got the call from Kurt this morning, and I was so freaked out," He could hear the emotion and the tears starting in his voice.

  
"Cooper, I'm alright," Blaine repeats.

  
"I should come home, you need me. We need to figure this whole thing out with Dad,"

  
"No, stay where you are,"

  
"Where was Mom when this was happening? Why wasn't she there? She promised me she would always be there,"

  
"I don't know. Her car was there and I called for her, but she didn't answer. I don't know," Blaine repeats, looking up to Kurt, who looked incredibly hurt for him.  
"I'll call her," Cooper mumbles. "Are you sure you're okay?"

  
"Coop, I'm fine. Kurt and the Hummels took care of me," Blaine smiles towards, now remembering he forgot to thank them last night. The three smile back at him.

  
"Okay," He pauses, taking a deep breath. "Okay," He repeats, sniffling back his tears. "Jesus, I was so worried, Blaine,"

  
"I know," Blaine nods, even though Cooper couldn't see it.

  
"I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you,"

  
"I know," Blaine repeats, sniffling back his tears.

  
"Alright, call me when you get back to the hospital, okay?"

  
"Yeah, okay,"

  
"I love you, little bro,"

  
"Love you too Coop," Blaine smiles, before hanging up the phone, both of them lingering just a little bit. He hands the phone back to Kurt and just falls into his arms, for once not caring that Burt was around. Kurt wraps his arms around his shoulders, rubbing softly at the back of his head.

  
"Thank you," Blaine whispers into his shoulder.

  
"I'll tell you again, don't thank me for any of this. I'm doing it because I love you, alright?" Blaine nods slowly.

  
"I love you too," He says, nuzzling his nose against his boyfriend. Kurt smiles, pecking the top of his bald head gently.

  
"Alright boys, as much as I hate break the two of you up, you have to be back at the hospital in an hour, and it takes half that to get there," Carole says, nodding towards the clock. The both of them groan.

  
"I don't wanna go," Blaine groans, his voice muffled by the fabric of Kurt's shirt. Kurt laughs, patting his back before letting him go.

  
"I left some clothes on the the vanity if you wanna go get dressed," Kurt smiles.

  
"Okay, I'll be down in a few," Blaine sighs, leaving the room to hike back up the stairs. On his way down the hall, he sees Finn come out from his room, just in a pair of boxers and a t-shirt.

  
"Hey, Blaine!" Finn exclaims, but the closer he gets, the wider his eyes get. "Damn! What the hell happened to you?" His smile disappears instantly, inspecting Blaine's split lip and black eye. The former Warbler hesitates.

  
"My dad," He says eventually, knowing he can trust Finn. The football player goes stiff, his eyes going wide.

  
"Shit dude,"

  
"Yeah," Blaine clears his throat, suddenly feeling uncomfortable, but Finn pulls him in for a bone crushing hug, holding him tightly. Blaine gasps at first, taken aback by his reaction, but eventually hugs back. Finn doesn't know what else to say, so he just holds him tight.

  
Eventually, he lets go though, patting his shoulder a few times, staring at the smaller boy. Blaine just stares back, not knowing what to say to him. Finn nods a few times, before brushing past him to go down the stairs. Blaine stands there for a few more seconds, his eyes wide, but his heart warm. He smiles gently, heading back towards Kurt's room to get changed.

  
He picks the stack of clothes from the vanity stool and enters the bathroom. Blaine strips himself of his shirt, for the first time noticing the large bruise over his chest. It was huge and the purple was harsh against his pale, sick skin. His breath hitches in his throat at the sight of the large bruise in the faint outline of his father's dress shoe. He shakes his head, quickly throwing on the hoodie Kurt had set out for him, and slipping it on. It fit perfectly, so must have been one of the few he had left at the house.

  
He puts on the pair of Kurt's old sweatpants and leaves the bathroom once more, grabbing his phone from the nightstand and heading back down the stairs, ready to go back to the hospital.

  
"Ready?" Kurt asks, smiling when he saw Blaine come through the door. Blaine nods, sighing heavily. "Alright, I'll be back by dinner," Kurt says, eyeing the clock. He grabs his keys from the counter.

  
"Alright, be careful. Drive safe," Burt says getting to his feet to wrap Blaine in a tight hug, which takes Blaine by surprise, but still accepts it. "Love ya, kiddo," He says, patting his shoulder. Blaine can't help the large smile that grows on his face. Carole's next, giving him a sweet, tender hug, and peck to the cheek.

  
"We'll come see you this week, okay?"

  
"You guys don't have to do that," Blaine shakes his head. "It's a long drive and-"

  
"Honey, we want to," Carole assures him. Blaine nods, sighing heavily.

  
"Thank you guys, so much, for everything,"

  
"Don't thank us," Burt shakes his head.

  
"Yeah, you're family, Dude," Finn shrugs, his mouth full of Froot Loops. Blaine smiles lightly, hanging his head down.

  
"We mean it," Carole adds, giving the boy a smile.

  
"You guys are going to be late and they'll never let you out again, you guys gotta get going," Burt says, nodding towards the clock.

  
"Yeah, we do," Kurt nods, squeezing his boyfriend's hand tightly in his own, before tugging him out the door.

  
"Bye!" They both call to them, rushing to get in the car.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: New Year's Day - Pentatonix


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Breakthroughs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is the last of the fluffy chapters for awhile, a long while because things have just been going too well for Blaine. It will change. I got this chapter done early, so I wanted to post it early, because you guys have been awesome, so enjoy this chapter and PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE leave a comment, even if it's a simple one. They really make my day and make writing this story so much more enjoyable. Thank you for reading this and enjoy this one!

He didn't want to go today. He had another session with Marcus today, and he knew just how bad he really looked. It was Monday and his black eye was the worse it's ever looked. There were dark purples, light purples, and a bit of yellow mixed in, covering over his eyelid and on the upper part of his cheek and all around his eyebrow. His lip was still split, and Kurt was still cautious whenever he leaned in for a kiss, even though it no longer hurt. The bruise on his chest has darkened, and he's been refusing to change in front of a mirror because of it. The bruise ached and that's the one that hurt the most, but he wouldn't let anyone else look at it.

  
Just as Blaine was about to turn around and head back to his room, Marcus was calling out to him.

  
"Blaine, hey," He chuckles, looking up from digging through his bag, a large smile on his face. Blaine sighs heavily, hanging his head down. He really didn't wanna turn around. He knew what Marcus's response would be, and he didn't want to have to see it, but he puts on a brave face, with a smile, and turns back towards his therapist.

  
As expected, Marcus's smile drops instantly and his eyes go wide.

  
"What the fuck happened to you?" Marcus asks, obviously not caring about his language. He rushes over to Blaine, studying the bruise a little bit more.

  
Should he lie and say he fell? Or was being clumsy? If he told him the truth, he may never be able to leave the hospital again. Marcus was his therapist though. He should know.  
"My dad," Blaine chokes, emotion starting to get the best of him.

  
"Jesus Christ," Marcus breathes, not able to his eyes off the blackened eye. "What did Damien say?"

  
"Damien hasn't been with me since Friday morning. He was with another kid, and wasn't working on Sunday,"

  
"Shit," Marcus shakes his head. "If you think I'm pissed, wait until Damien sees this on Thursday. He'll kick your dad's ass," Blaine can't help the small smile that grazes his features. "Come on, sit, and tell me what happened," He nods towards the seats in the middle of the room, and Blaine follows his gaze.

  
He tells him. He tells him everything that's happened, and if Marcus was angry, he was hiding it well. He was a therapist after all. He must get stories worse than this everyday. He seemed to be absorbing it differently though. Almost as if he was talking to his own child instead of a patient.

  
"You're not going back there," Marcus says after a short moment of silence.

  
"I don't have anywhere else to go after this," He shrugs.

  
"Yes, you do. Our doors are always open, no matter what happens, alright?"

  
"Okay," Blaine nods along with him, his heart warming at that statement.

  
"We have an extra bedroom, and when you get finished with treatment, you're more than welcomed. If not, I don't think Kurt would let you sleep on the streets," He smiles. Blaine nods in agreement.

  
"Now, why? Why do you think he did it?" Marcus asks, shrugging his shoulders as if it was the simplest question. The singer hesitates. He knew the reason, but he didn't want to have to say it out loud.

  
"He's a psycho, that's why," Blaine shrugs, crossing his arms over his chest.

  
"No, that's not why you think he did it. Why do you think he did it?" Marcus asks again, narrowing his eyes towards the boy, making him shift uncomfortably, taking in a shaky breath. He soon deflates.

  
"I'm not my brother," he says quietly. He pauses. "I'm a fag. I'm sick and expensive. I'm stupid. I'm not great at business. I like theater and music. I'm a pain. I've been nothing but trouble. I'm never the best, I'm always second at everything I do. I'm not the son he wants or needs," Blaine refuses to look up at Marcus. He just sucks on his bottom lip, careful of his cut and staring at the floor.

  
"You're right," Marcus sighs heavily, shaking his head. He kneels forward, catching Blaine's gaze as he did so. "You're not your brother, but why would you want to be him?" Blaine goes to answer, but Marcus stops him. "You are sick, and that can be expensive, but it's what you need to make sure you're okay, and that's all that matters. You're not good at business, because you don't like it and that's okay. You like theater and music, and you're good at both of those things. You're right, you're not the son your dad wants, because that perfect son doesn't exist and you don't have to fit into that category, don't let him change who you are," Marcus adds. Blaine doesn't say anything, not knowing what to say.

  
"You are a pain in the ass, because you just can't get your father out of your head, and you have to or he will win. Although, you're not a fag, you're gay and that's okay. You're not the best because you can't get out of your own thoughts and that's what's stopping you from being the best. You worry too much about the things you do wrong instead of focusing on the things you do right, which outweigh the negatives," he pauses. "If Thomas turned out to be half the man you are, I'd be incredibly proud, because you are one of the bravest people I know, Blaine. You're a teenager dealing with things most thirty year olds can't deal with. Cancer, an absent mother, an abusive father, homophobes, bullies, you're doing it all. It's really inspiring,"

  
"You probably say that to every patient," Blaine rolls his eyes.

  
"This is what I mean. Get out of your head, Blaine. You're your own worst enemy," Marcus goes on. "Blaine, there's just something about you, and I consider you a child of my own just because I care about you that much and I hope you know that."

  
"I do now," Blaine can't help the smile forming on his lips.

  
"Good, because it's true," Marcus shrugs. "You're strong, Blaine. You just have to realize it. I know I'm not the only one drilling this into your head either. I know Kurt has been, his father, Cooper, some of your friends. You just can't see yourself way we see you,"

  
"I just don't understand because if I'm doing so well, why do people keep leaving me?" Blaine sniffles, tears starting to cloud his vision.

  
"Who's left you?"

  
"My mom for one. My dad is gone. He was never this bad before, and now I can't even come home anymore. Cooper left. I know I told him to leave, but I miss him like crazy. Half my friends don't talk to me anymore," Blaine chokes on his tears, cutting him off.

  
"You had plenty of friends on Christmas,"

  
"It's three weeks into the new year, and six of them haven't said a word to me. Ignored my texts, and even when they are here, they aren't here, they don't talk to me anymore," He scoffs, shaking his head. "Why can't I have the cancer exprience like they have in the movies, where their parents are crying because they're scared for their kid, and their friends are all amazing and offer to shave their own heads. I just don't get it."

  
"Those are movies. A lot of people can't handle cancer at all. It's a lot to take on for them, and they don't realize it's just as hard for you too. Only you can't walk away, you're stuck there. You're lucky you have Kurt, Cooper, Kurt's father, the few friends that stick around, Damien, and me,"

  
Blaine shakes his head, wiping at his eyes.

  
"You'll never lose at least two of those people, I am one hundred percent sure of that. Damien and I aren't going anywhere, okay?"

  
"Nothing with cancer comes easy, and I don't think you'd let Kurt shave his head anyway," Marcus chuckles, which brings a small smile to Blaine's face.

  
"I just want a break. There's always something going wrong. It never gets better," He shrugs, shaking his head.

  
"It will get better. You just have to be patient. You will make it out of this, and you and Kurt can go get married and graduate and move to where ever you wanna move to. You just have to wait,"

  
"Okay," Blaine nods slowly.

  
"Now, come here," Marcus gets to his feet, opening his arms, which Blaine chuckles at, and Marcus pulls him in for a hug, squeezing him tight. "You're gonna be just fine, Blaine," He smiles, rubbing his back in a fatherly way. Blaine nods, squeezing tighter. He can feel the tears starting to fall down his cheeks once more, so he just hides his face into Marcus's blazer and starts to cry harder. "Shh," Marcus comforts, rubbing his shoulder carefully.

  
"Thank you," Blaine cries,

 

 

-0-

 

 

If anyone else even wanted into the visiting room, there would be no room for them. Not only were Finn, Kurt, Blaine, Sam, Rachel, Sadie, Jeff, Nick and Mercedes spread out across the couches, but Artie, Tina, Mike, Mercedes, Rory, and Trent were sat at one of the tables. Another was filled with Puck, Brittany, Santana, Sebastian, Thad, and Jon. Josie, Leo, Lincoln, Wes, and David, were filling up the last one.

  
The New Directions had exams this week, Warbler's exams were next week, and the support group, including Blaine, needed to have their online exams finished by next week Friday. So, Blaine decided to rally them all up and have a giant study group.

  
It was Tuesday, and for the most part, they were trying to forget the weekend's events. Blaine had talked it out with Marcus, and was refusing to address it. Of course, his bruises and split lip were still very visible, but they were slowly healing, so Blaine was trying to pretend it never happened.

  
The room was quiet though, which was not what Blaine planned for. He was hoping that the room would be filled with dirty jokes and laughter because he missed his friends and that was the real reason behind all this.

  
His legs were resting in Kurt's lap, under one of his history books. Kurt had a highlight between his teeth, and was going through his study guide, trying to highlight the most important things to make flashcards out of. Blaine should also be studying. He had his laptop in his lap, but he couldn't help but stare at Kurt's furrowed brow. He had a crease right in the center of his forehead, no matter how much he tried to ignore it. Kurt hated the sight of it, but Blaine loved it. It was absolutley adorable. A small smile played on his lips, just being able to stare at his boyfriend like this was wonderful.

  
A small piece of auburn hair was falling over his forehead. Usually, Kurt would fuss over it, but right now passing this exam was more important. He needed to get into a good college after all.

  
"Blaine, if you don't look away, you might just burn a hole through the middle of my forehead," Kurt whispers, trying not to disturb anyone else.

  
"I can't help myself," Blaine shrugs, his lips curling into a larger smile. "You're just so damn cute. You have that little crease in your forehead when you concentrate, and it's cute," Kurt gasps.

  
"I do not," He instinctivley puts a hand over his forehead, now feeling the fallen piece of hair. "God, I must look horrible," He mutters, rolling his eyes.

  
"You're perfect," Blaine whispers, leaning forward to press a kiss to his forehead, right over the crease.

  
"Can you guys be disgusting somewhere else? I'm trying to graduate next year," Puck grumbles from one of the table, rolling his eyes.

  
"Puckerman, you are not studying. You're drawing dinosaurs playing guitars," Kurt says sarcastically.

  
"They're not dinosaurs, they're gators," Puck replies, making the room burst into a fit of laughter.

  
"Whatever you say, Puck," Kurt chuckles. Blaine laughs, leaning even farther to wrap his arms around Kurt's neck and rest his chin in on his shoulder after placing a quick kiss to his cheek.

 

"This sucks!" Nick groans, tossing his pencil against the table and leaning back in his chair.

  
"You haven't even started," Jeff chuckles, pointing towards his boyfriend's blank paper.

  
"Hey! It's the thought that counts," Nick replies, trying to keep a straight face.

 

"I agree, I don't wanna do this," Finn adds, turning his upper lip in disgust, as if his English had done him wrong.

  
"Please, McKinley work is nothing compared to Dalton," David says, raising his eyebrows.

  
"Are you kidding? You must be a braniac to do this crap," Sam shakes his head. David sighs, getting to his feet to head over to the couches. He comes behind Sam, looking over his math.

  
"That's because you're doing that wrong. You have to carry that, and move the X to that side," David chuckles. "We learned that months ago,"

  
"Shut up," Sam grumbles, using his eraser to start his problem over again. David smiles in victory, going back to his seat between Wes and Leo.

  
"Yeah, going from Dalton to McKinley was like going back to Freshman year," Blaine sighs, remembering his first few weeks at McKinley and how most of them were spent just sneaking around with Kurt, trying to find good make-out spots before everything came crashing down on them.

  
"Then do this for me," Sam says, holding his math stuff out for his friend. Blaine just shakes his head.

  
"No way. I'm trying to pass my junior year, not yours too," Blaine chuckles, motioning towards his laptop that he had set on the coffee table in front of them, since he was now squished up against his boyfriend. "I'm still like three weeks behind," Blaine mumbles, hiding his face into Kurt's shoulder.

  
"Then you better get going, so I can study," Kurt replies. but Blaine just grumbles.

  
"No, I just wanna stay with you," Blaine replies lifting his head to peck a million kisses to Kurt's cheek, making Kurt smile, and squirm a little in his arms.

  
"Are you guys always this disgusting?" Sadie asks, looking up from her book to the couple.

  
"You have no idea," Puckerman and Sebastian say together. Kurt and Blaine just roll their eyes.

  
"Sorry you guys don't know what love looks like, you bitter people," Blaine replies, squeezing Kurt tightly, making the boy giggle.

  
"Blaine, if I fail this history exam, it'll be your fault," Kurt warns, trying to get away from his grasps, but for someone as tired and weak as Blaine, he was putting up a good fight.  
"I'll take that," He says.

  
"If I fail this, I'll fail the class, and if I fail the class, it'll drop my GPA. If my GPA drops, I won't get into NYADA," Kurt reminds him. He pauses, "Then we won't go to New York,"  
"Fine," Blaine playfully roll his eyes, scooting back in his seat and grabbing his laptop back to put into his lap.

  
"Thank you," Kurt chuckles.

  
With that, everyone goes to back to studying, which meant silence, which Blaine hated more than anything. He grabbed his notebook and a pencil from his bag beside the couch, and started to take a few notes from the current chapter he was on. He sighs heavily, quickly getting bored with the words on the screen. He rolls his head back, stretching his neck out. No one was paying very much attention. He takes the pencil from behind his ear and started to tap it against his paper as he searched through his notes, his brow furrowed with half concentration.

  
"Blaine, I'm going to chuck that pencil out the window," Lincoln looks up from his English book, one eyebrow raised at the boy.

  
"Oh, sorry," Blaine says sheepishly, automatically stopping his tapping to continue working. He really did wanna pass this year. Once the tapping stopped, the room was dead silent once more. He lets out a loud sigh.

  
He hated the silence. It was deafening, and when he was a child, it always meant something was wrong. Like, his dad had come home early, or he was all alone in that giant house. He hated it so much. He shifts uncomfortably at the thought and memories of his childhood. The boy shakes his head, scrunching his brow and letting out another sigh. Kurt looks up from his book.

  
"Did you want music or something?" Kurt asks. Blaine looks up.

  
"Really?"

  
"Yeah, it's deathly quiet in here anyway," Kurt sighs, shrugging his shoulders. "Anyone opposed to some tunes?" Kurt asks, looking around the room. Everyone looks around, shaking their heads.

  
"Yes!" Blaine cheers, getting up from his seat, and searching through his bag for his phone. He goes through the different kinds of music he has and finally decides on a Katy Perry song. His smile is bright when he leans back in his chair, humming lightly to the tune. Kurt chuckles, shaking his head.

  
"What?" Blaine asks.

  
"You. You're just like a puppy," Kurt smiles, leaning forwards to press a kiss to his lips. Blaine hisses at first, his lip still a little sore. Kurt, forgetting it was there, pulls away, his smile gone. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

  
"Kurt, please, just kiss me again. I'm fine," Blaine gives him a small smile and captures his lips in for a quick peck. Kurt relaxes when he doesn't feel Blaine hiss or hesitate. When they pull apart, Kurt has a sheepish grin on his face. "You worry too much," Blaine adds, rubbing his thumb across his cheek. Kurt rolls his eyes, pulling back from him, and turning back to his notes. He didn't miss the way Lincoln was looking at them.

  
He couldn't help but feel a bit bad for Lincoln. He forgets sometimes what happened between him and Miles before he passed away. The former Warbler can't help but wonder if Lincoln sees what could have been when he sees Kurt and him together, but he wasn't going to stop the way he was with Kurt because of Lincoln though.

  
Blaine shakes the thought out of his head, and turns back to his paper, trying to finish up his notes before the end of the night. There were only a few more hours until visiting hours were over, and he wanted to get it done by tonight.

  
Kurt's soft hum is what stopped him, it bringing a smile to his face. Seeing Kurt humming to a Katy Perry song was rare. The only song he would ever listen to without complaining would be 'Teenage Dream', but that song was different. It was their song.

  
"Are you, a Gaga, humming to a Katy song?" Blaine fake gasps. Kurt looks up, his brow scrunched.

  
"What? I was not," He shakes his head, trying to play it off.

  
"Oh, yes you were. Even I could hear that," Santana rolls her eyes, shaking her head at the two, but not looking up from her book. Blaine raises an eyebrow.

  
"I can appreciate a good Katy song when I hear one, what can I say," He shrugs helplessly. Blaine chuckles, his smile brightening.

  
"Where were you when I wanted to sing 'Part of Me' with you in glee club?"

  
"I said a good Katy song," Kurt reminds him. Blaine gasps, shaking his head.

 

"You did not,"

  
"I did," Kurt shrugs, unable to help the smile on his face. Blaine chuckles, shaking his head. He just decides to go back to his work instead and Kurt goes back to his as well, still humming lightly.

  
Kurt really does have an amazing voice. He can go low and high, but him going right inbetween is Blaine's favorite, because he can really show off what he can do with out having to use his falsetto. Lately, with Blaine's nightmares happening, Kurt started to sing him back to sleep. He could sing anything, and it would act as a lullaby. It was working so far. It puts him right to sleep.

  
Blaine stops what he's doing to admire his boyfriend once more. He was back to concentrating like before, but this time his crease was smaller because he was working his vocal chords, humming to the song playing through Blaine's phone speaker. His highlighter was being twirled between his fingers and he staring down at his paper, hoping the answers would fly out at him.

  
"Blaine, the looks you're giving your boyfriend are going to make me throw up," Santana says, shaking her head at the boy. Blaine finally tears his eyes away from Kurt, and sticks his tongue out at the Latino girl. Kurt looks to Blaine, rolling his eyes at him.

"You're ridiculous," He shakes his head. Blaine chuckles, placing a quick kiss to his cheek.

  
"What can I say, I just can't look away. You're pretty distracting," He shrugs.

  
"Dude," Puck shakes his head. "You gotta have better lines than that,"

  
"Kurt loves all the stupid things I say," Blaine defends, looking to his boyfriend for back-up.

  
"There are a lot of them," Kurt agrees, making the room laugh, and Blaine rolls his eyes, pulling back from his boyfriend.

 

 

-0-

 

 

"Hey, Kurt," Mr. Schue stops Kurt from leaving the Spanish room, tapping on his shoulder. Kurt turns around, smiling when he saw it was only his choir teacher.

  
"What's up?" He asks, as he's lead back to Mr. Schue's desk, who was sitting on the edge of it.

  
"How's Blaine doing? I haven't seen him since football season," He asks, his hands folded in his lap, and nervous look on his face.

  
"He's doing alright," Kurt lies. He really doesn't want to have the whole father discussion with another person, plus it wasn't his business to say. If Blaine wanted people to know, he'd tell them. Simple as that. "He's kinda weak from chemo. His brain is kind of jumbled up, but we're just beginning. The stupidest things make him tired, but he's pushing through it, like usual. Doctors say he's doing well though," Kurt nods, taking in a deep breath. As happy as he was that Mr. Schuester cared, he just wanted to go see the said boy. He was suppose to have another check-up with his doctor today, and Kurt was anxious know if there was any good news or not.

  
"Good. If anything else happens, promise you'll tell me, right?"

  
"Of course," Kurt nods, getting back to his feet. "Is that all?"

  
"Yeah," he nods, getting back to his feet. "That's it," Kurt didn't want to seem rude, but he wanted to get out of the school, and didn't want to be held up for another hour talking to Mr. Schuester about Blaine, when he could just visit his student instead. "You know that if either of you ever need anything, you can always call me, right? I know you guys have my number,"

  
"Yeah, we do. Thank you, Mr. Schuester,"

  
"Of course," Schue nods, a small smile on his face as he did so. Kurt's shoulders relax, happy he wasn't totally blowing him off.

  
"Alright. I'm suppose to go meet him, so I'll see you at rehearsal tomorrow," Kurt smiles, slowly walking back towards the door.

  
"Sounds good. Tell him I said hi,"

  
"Will do," He wanted to just say 'go see him and tell him yourself', but he fought the urge and just walked out into the halls, stopping at his locker. He starts putting his Spanish stuff into his locker, grabbing his phone from the top shelf, and sighing when he came across the same Dalton photo that still hung on the cool metal. Just as he was about to grab his bag, someone started tugging on his shoulder and a deep voice made his eyes go wide.

  
"Kurt," Dave says, shifting his weight from one foot to other.

  
"What do you want, Karosky? Here to push me around some more, because I'm not in the mood today. Unlike you, I actually have things to do with my life," He rolls his eyes, grabbing his messenger bag, slinging it over his shoulder, and spinning on his heels. He expected to see Azimio beside him, but he was nowhere to be found. Dave had his hands shoved deep inside his varsity jacket pockets and his jaw was clenched, but his eyes looked hurt and guilty. Kurt swallows. The last time he apologized, the harassing never really stopped, it only got worse. This can't be good.

  
"What do you want?" Kurt repeats, adjusting the strap of his bag, trying to remain intimidating.

  
"How's your boyfriend?" He clears his throat.

  
"What did you just ask me?" Kurt freezes, scrunching his brows in confusion.

  
"I asked how your boyfriend was," The jock repeats, looking around the hall, as if expecting someone to catch him talking to Kurt and beat the hell out of him.

  
"Why do you want to know? When did you start giving shit about what happened to him?" Kurt bites, his brow furrowed with resentment towards the football player.

  
"I'm trying, alright?"

  
"Why? What's your plan here? What do you get out of it?" Kurt asks, crossing his arms over his chest, and shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Like he said, he wasn't in the mood.

  
"Nothing, look-" He stops himself, trying to recollect his thoughts and calm down a little. "I'm sorry," He shrugs.

  
"What was that?" Kurt pulls his head back, clearly confused.

  
"You heard me," He grumbles.

  
"I know, and I'm asking you to repeat it,"

  
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize what he was going through. My uncle-"

  
"I don't give a damn about your uncle. Do you think that now that you said sorry and were going to tell me about your uncle, things are okay? They're not," He shakes his head. "You made the past three years of my life a living hell, and that last year of Blaine's a living hell,"

  
Slushies of all different colors had been splattered across his designer clothing, that made have to start taking extra clothes to school everday. He's been tossed in dumpsters on more days than he hasn't been. He's been teased for who he was, shoved into lockers, coming home with bruises that he didn't know how to explain to his dad. His first kiss, that was supposed to be magical, was ripped away from him. He's had spit balls thrown in his hair, words written on his locker that took help from a janitor to get off the metal. Everything he has ever done has been critized, bringing him down to a deep hole, that he didn't think he'd ever get out of. If it wasn't for glee club, he probably would still be in it, or in a place he doesn't even want to think about.

  
Lunch trays have been thrown on him, spaghetti in his hair. Harsh words became normal for him, so did locker slams, and his books being thrown out of his hands, making him late for his classes. Things have been stolen from him, things he'll never see again or ever get back.

  
"I get that," Dave says, hanging his head down and flicking his tongue over his teeth.

  
"Then why are you doing this? Is this where Azimio comes out and hits me in the stomach? I don't understand," He shakes his head.

  
"I'm trying to apologize,"

  
"Why now? It's been years, but now that Blaine has cancer and you know about it, you feel bad and want to change things?"

  
"Kinda, I guess,"

  
"No,"

  
"What?"

  
"I said no. You have given me bruises, limps, trash stenched clothing, and some serious mental health issues, and you just expect things to turn around because you're sorry?"

  
"Yeah, I guess. I don't know what else you want me to say. I'm really trying here," He shrugs as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Kurt shakes his head.

  
"That's not how things work. Not in the real world."

 

Dave grunts, hitting his fist against Kurt's locker, slamming it shut. Kurt jumps back, taking in a deep breath.

  
"This is what I mean. You're not sorry at all,"

 

"Why are you doing this? I'm trying to apologize. What I did was wrong, I get that,"

  
"No, I don't think you do, but now that Blaine has cancer, you feel like if he dies, this cloud will just hang over your head for the rest of eternity, so you're trying to 'fix' things that can't be fixed. I'm not Blaine so I can't speak for him, but what you did to us is not okay, so I'm not going to say it is," Kurt shrugs.

  
"What's wrong with you?"

  
"What's wrong with me? I'm not the one that has to push other people down to the floor to bring myself up to the sky," Kurt snaps, his voice low. "Don't go there with me," Kurt warns, shaking his head with disbelief. Dave flicks his tongue across his teeth, clenching his jaw.

  
"What do you want me to do to make it up to you?"

  
"Leave me alone,"

  
"I have been leaving you alone and the entire gay club. I'm really trying,"

  
"No, you're not. You just called us the 'gay club'. You're not trying and you're still standing in front of me, that's not leaving me alone. I just want you to go away, not talk to me or even look at me anymore. I don't need your shit. I have enough going on in my life, okay? I'm not the only one you hurt either. There is an entire school that you have thrown slushies at. Are you going to wait until they get cancer too?"

  
Dave goes silent, not knowing what else to say.

  
"That's what I thought," Kurt scoffs, shaking his head. With that, Dave rolls his eyes, brushing past him, causing him to be pushed up against his locker. Kurt bites his bottom lip, rolling his eyes.

  
"Yeah! Great start Karosky!" He calls after him. Dave just shakes his head, continuing down the hallway, running into half of the people loitering around the halls.

  
"Hey!" Finn calls after him, running up to his brother. "You okay?"

  
"You've done worse to me," Kurt says without thinking. Finn's face falls and Kurt's eyes go wide. "I did not mean that. I'm sorry, I-" His shifts his weight from one foot to the other.

  
"No, you're right," Finn nods. "Just checking up on you," He sighs heavily, looking down at the floor.

  
"Thanks," Kurt breathes, giving his brother a small smile.

  
"What'd he want anyway?" Finn nods off towards the jock still walking off angrily.

  
"He tried to apologize to me,"

  
"Tried to?"

  
"I wouldn't let him. He's done enough," Kurt sighs, adjusting the strap on his bag. Finn nods in agreement. "He thinks since Blaine has cancer, we'll forgive him. I know I can't speak for Blaine, but I'm sure he wouldn't accept it either, and I don't see Dave going to go see him in the hospital any time soon, or any time at all, so that's where that ship is sinking,"

  
"Yeah, I can't either," Finn agrees, sticking his hands deep inside his pockets, still watching the football player storm off and walk out the doors.

  
"I really didn't mean that, Finn. It was uncalled for and stupid. I just burst on you, and I'm sorry,"

  
"I know you didn't, but you were right," Fin shrugs.

  
"Maybe at one time, but not anymore. You've honestly been amazing through all this. There is a lot of shit going on lately, and you've been there, right beside me, even if I didn't think I'd need you, so thank you,"

  
"Don't thank me. You're my little brother," He shrugs, a small smirk appearing on his lips. Kurt rolls his eyes.

  
"By like four months," Kurt groans, but allows his brother to pull him in for a tight hug.

  
"Homos!" Azimio calls chuckling as he did so, a couple more football players behind him, and one even high fives him as if it was the best insult ever. Kurt rolls his eyes at them and mumbles something under his breath about them being stupid and unoriginal.

 

"Shut up Azimio before I knock you on your ass," Finn rolls his eyes, squeezing Kurt tighter, making him smile harder.

  
"Thanks, Finn," Kurt sighs with content when Azimio walks off, not knowing what else to say. He really doesn't need to get into another fight. There was already one this year, another one and he may be kicked off the basketball team.

  
"What are big brothers for?"

  
"By like four months!" Kurt grumbles, his arms going slack, and pulling back from his brother.

  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Finn chuckles, going to ruffle Kurt's hairs, but Kurt smacked his hand away before he could. "Hey, do you need a ride to the hospital? I can take you,"  
"No, I'm fine. I can drive. I was suppose to meet him ten minutes ago, so I hope he's not angry," Kurt sighs, adjusting the strap on his bag, worry clear in his eyes. He really didn't want to fight with his boyfriend too.

  
"He won't. Blaine's never mad at you," Finn shrugs. Kurt sighs heavily, knowing how wrong that statement was, but ignoring it.

  
"Alright, I'll see you at home. Unless you wanna come with me?"

  
"Yeah, I'll go with you. It's been a few days," Finn smiles.

  
"We'll take my car, then we'll swing by on the way home and pick your truck up,"

  
"Sounds good. Lead the way," Finn nods towards the doors, and Kurt starts digging through his bag for his keys on their way down the hallway.

 

 

-0-

 

 

After recieving a text from Blaine on the way there, which of course Finn replied to for his brother, but it made Kurt a little worried and maybe pass the speed limit a few times.   
All it said was. "I've got news." Of course, Kurt's mind went to the worse scenerios possible, like the cancer has spread, or someone else had died.

  
"You're going to crash the car," Finn says, gripping onto the handle on the door of the passenger seat.

  
"Shut up, we'll be fine," Kurt rolls his eyes. "I'm only like ten over the speed limit,"

  
"Burt's going to kill you,"

 

"Dad's not going to know about this, right Finn?" He raises one eyebrow higher than the other at his brother.

  
"Yes, fine, fine," Finn groans.

  
The text was of course sending Kurt into a frenzy while he rushed through the hospital hallways, hoping that the news wasn't anything horrible. He doesn't think he can handle anymore bad news. Finn was behind him, trying to get him to slow down a little before he ran into someone, but Kurt had a one track mind.

  
"Dude, slow down!" Finn calls after his brother, speed walking to keep up with him.

  
"Don't tell me to calm down," Kurt bites back, picking up speed when they come down his hallway. He can see Blaine's door from here. Finn rolls his eyes, and instead just follows him. Kurt rushes in through the doorway, trying not to freak out when he saw Blaine.

  
He was sitting on the edge of the bed, his hands sitting in his lap. The bed was made, showing he must have been at an appointment today. His head was bent down, so Kurt couldn't see his expression, but his shoulders were slumped over and his hands looked nervous. This didn't look great. It looked like bad news.

  
"Blaine?" Kurt's voice is ten times softer than it was ten seconds ago while talking to his brother. His boyfriend looks up at the sound of his voice, and tears were staining his cheeks. It looked as if he had been crying for hours. He was pale like usual, but there was something different to his expression, as if he didn't know how to feel about anything going on, like nothing made sense. His black eye and split lip were still visible as well, which just made this all worse, making him look even more pitiful. "Blaine what happened?" Kurt breathes, scared to push him. He hesitantly takes a few steps in through the doorway, as Blaine shifts in his seat.

  
"I don't know," Blaine shrugs, sniffling, shaking his head with disbelief.

  
"B, talk to me," Kurt adds, slowly coming in and sitting down beside him, wrapping an arm loosely around his back, rubbing gently to try and comfort him so he could talk. He needed to know what the hell was going on.

 

"I had my appointment today," Blaine nods, finally deciding to speak more than a few words.

 

"And?" Kurt looks from his boyfriend and up at Finn who was still standing in the doorway, his brow furrowed.

  
"It hasn't spread," Blaine replies, taking in a deep breath. Kurt's shoulders relax, and he lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

 

"That's good then, Baby, right?" Kurt smiles, but when Blaine doesn't, his smile falls instantly. Why wasn't he as relieved as Kurt was?

  
"I don't get it," Blaine scoffs, his brow furrowing.

 

"Don't get what?" Kurt looks back up at Finn, was even more confused, but a little more relaxed.

  
"It hasn't moved at all. It hasn't shrunk, but it hasn't grown. I just don't understand," His voice raises at the last few words, and the frustration is clear in his voice.

  
"That's not a bad thing, it-"

  
"I've spent the last five weeks of my life getting sick, feeling horrible, most days unable to get out of bed, and it was for nothing, absolutely nothing. How is that not a bad thing?" Blaine turns to Kurt, as if he just said the stupidest thing ever.

  
"Because it didn't get worse," Kurt bites back, pulling his head back at Blaine's tone.

  
"It didn't get better either. It's just stuck there, sitting inside of me, waiting to explode,"

  
"Don't say that," Kurt replies.

  
"Don't tell me not to say that. I feel as if I'm waiting for it to just go off like a God damn bomb at this point. Last time it got worse, and this time with a harder round it didn't get better. What the fuck do I do now?" Blaine shakes his head, turning his gaze back to the floor.

  
"We fight it of course,"

  
"I'm so sick of fighting anymore. I just want it to be over," Blaine groans, throwing his head back with exhaustion.

  
"I know, but if you stop fighting, things won't get better. This is a good start. Now, we know what drugs work, which mean we can hit it harder and-"

  
"I'll die if we hit it harder!" Blaine replies, turning his head to Kurt as if it was the most obvious thing ever. At Kurt's silence, and hurt expression, he continues on. "I feel horrible all the time. I'm exhausted from chemo, it wipes me out. I'm throwing up every time I try and eat, which means I'll probably never get this thing out," He motions towards his feeding tube. "I feel like I have permenent bags under my eyes, I get nightmares more than I have dreams. No matter much sleep I get, I'm always tired and sleep all damn day. I never see anyone but you, Finn, Carole, and Burt anymore. I've lost my mother and my father through this. I'm sick of being sick!" His voice raises with every word.

  
"I'm going to go use the bathroom," Finn says awkwardly, knowing the two needed a moment. By this point, neither were paying attention, or cared when he left, but Blaine had tears of frustration rolling down his cheeks, staining them a bright red.

  
"Why are you yelling at me?" Kurt asks, his brow furrowed. In an instant, Blaine falls into Kurt's arms, hiding his face into his jacket, sobbing his eyes out. Kurt's shoulders relax, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and rubbing the back of his bald head. "Shh," He comforts, holding him tight to his chest.

  
"I want this to be over. I'm just so tired already," Blaine sobs, gripping Kurt's jackets in his fist.

  
"I know, B, but you gotta have courage," Kurt pulls back, and reluctantly, Blaine does too. "You gotta stay strong. Just think, it could had spread and been worse, so much worse, but it didn't. No, it didn't get better, but now we have a good idea about what's next, alright?" Blaine nods numbly, and Kurt brings his thumbs up to wipe at his eyes, trying to rid his skin of the moisture. "You've texted, told me, written me, and sang to me a certain word and I'm going to tell you now. Courage. You have to keep pushing through this,"

  
"Okay," Blaine sniffles.

  
"Stay positive. We're going to get through this together, but you can't give up on me, alright?"

  
"How can you say that when I'm the one going through this shit, you can just walk away," Blaine argues back, his voice thick with tears and emotion.

  
"How many times do I have to say this? I'm not leaving you, ever, not until we're burying you six feet under when we're ninety years old with three grandchildren, alright?" Blaine chuckles lightly, shaking his head playfully.

  
"Alright?" Kurt repeats, a small smile on his face.

  
"Okay," Blaine repeats, his breath getting hitched in his throat.

  
"Have you talked to your doctor yet?" Kurt asks after pecking his lips chastely, his face turning serious once more.

  
"Yeah," Blaine nods, sniffling back his tears, and wiping at his eyes before continuing on. "He said we're starting my second round tomorrow and that I need to drink more water, because my kidneys look weak. We're going to start on a few different medications, besides my chemo ones, to try and aid the process, and get me on some iron tablets as well. If my tumor doesn't move this time, he's going to take it out anyway,"

  
"What do you mean? I thought it had to be smaller,"

  
"It does, but if it doesn't shrink, we're doing it anyway," Blaine answers, looking down at his hands, his voice still thick with tears. Kurt reaches over, taking one of Blaine's hands in his own.

  
"The side effects this time sound horrible,"

 

"What are they?" Kurt was kind of scared to ask.

  
"More exhaustion, more throwing up, no appetite, weight loss, mouth sores, memory loss, weakness, lightheadedness, numbness, pain, headaches, swollen hands, the list goes on," Blaine replies, trying to remember the long list his doctor had given him earlier.

 

"Memory loss? Like what, amnesia?"

  
"No, I'll basically just be like an old person with short term memory loss," Blaine adds quietly, looking down at his hands. Kurt sighs heavily, leaning forward to wrap him in a tight hug.

  
"We'll get through this," Kurt whispers, rubbing his back soothingly. Blaine basically attaches onto him like a baby sloth, hiding his face into the crook of his neck. "Courage," Kurt repeats, pecking the back of his neck. Blaine nods, taking in a deep breath.

  
"Courage," Blaine echoes, letting his eyes fall shut.

  
"Did the doctor say anything else?" Kurt asks, pulling back to try and get some more information out of his boyfriend.

  
"Not really, everything just depends on what happens during this next round," Blaine replies, letting out a deep breath. Kurt nods, now knowing what else to say. "He called Marcus though, and I had to talk to him a little bit,"

  
"What'd he say about it?" Kurt asks, his hand still rubbing lightly on the small of Blaine's back.

  
"He wants me to take medication,"

  
"Well, duh. You're already taking like eight pills a day for this," Kurt shrugs, clearly confused.

  
"No, he wants me to take anti-depressants," Blaine says quietly, not looking up from his hands. Kurt doesn't say anything, letting Blaine continue. "I told him about the nightmares, and how I feel about everything going on and he's worried about me,"

  
"What do you think about it?" Kurt asks sheepishly.

  
"What do you think about it?" Blaine asks, his brow furrowed as he looks up at his boyfriend.

  
"I think that you should try it," Blaine's face contorts into one of hurt and anger at his words. "Listen, hear me out," Kurt warns, before Blaine can speak and argue with him. "It's not going to be forever, just until we get past this cancer thing. They'll stop the nightmares, and help you feel a little bit better about all this. I know how crappy you feel, and maybe taking these pills can help with your feelings. It won't help the nausea or the pain, but it can help your head a little bit,"

  
"I'm not taking another pill. Like you said, I'm already taking like eight, I don't want nine,"

  
"It's worth a shot, Blaine,"

  
"No, it's not. I'm not crazy, I don't need to take sane pills,"

  
"Taking anti-depressants doesn't make you crazy," Kurt scoffs. "I was on them during my freshman year,"

  
"When we met?"

  
"Yeah, when I came back to McKinley with you, a few months later, I was taken off them because I was showing improvement," Kurt replies. Blaine doesn't say anything. "Look, I don't wanna fight with you, so can you just sleep on it, and we can talk about this later?" Blaine hesitates.

  
"Yeah, okay," He nods reluctantly.

  
"Good," Kurt sighs. He leans forward, capturing Blaine's lips in a quick kiss. "I should go find Finn before he gets lost. I'll be back with him in tow, I promise," Kurt smiles gently, even though Blaine doesn't.

  
"Okay," He repeats. Kurt's smile disappears.

  
"I love you," He tries, ducking his head to meet Blaine's gaze.

  
"I love you too," Blaine nods his head, looking up to him briefly. Kurt sighs heavily, his smile gone, but he gets up from the bed anyway, heading out the door in search for his brother.

 

 

-0-

 

 

"Blaine! What the hell happened to your face?!" Those were the first words out of Damien's mouth when he came into Blaine's room with his chemo cart behind him. Blaine's eyes go wide at Damien's voice, almost as if Damien was a parent and he had gotten into a fight at school today. Blaine slowly looks up from his book, nervousness clear in his eyes. "Don't you dare lie to me, Blaine, or I will scalp you,"

  
"I pretty sure you can't say that to your patients," Blaine says skeptically, trying to joke, but Damien wasn't having it.

  
"Watch me," He says, crossing his arms over his chest. "Go on, what's your story?" He asks, one eyebrow raised. Blaine's face falls.

  
"You know how I went home on Friday?" The singer sighs heavily, putting his book aside.

  
"Yeah," Damien says, squinting his eyes at the boy, listening to his story carefully.

  
"My dad heard, and he clearly didn't like my visit," Damien's face falls instantly.

  
"I'm going to kill that man," He shakes his head. "How is he not in jail yet? Please tell me you're doing something about this,"

  
"Yeah, Kurt and my mom are working on getting him into rehab,"

  
"Rehab? He needs to go to hell," Damien says. Blaine chuckles, hanging his head down.

  
"I know, but this is as close as it gets.

  
"Are there more bruises?" Damien asks. Blaine's face goes still. He goes to answer, but Damien stops him. "Lie to me and I scalp you, remember?" Blaine chuckles lightly.

  
"Yeah there's a few," He nods, his smile fading.

  
"Show me," Damien's face is serious at the boy's confession. Blaine nods slowly, getting to his feet. He removes his long sleeve shirt, leaving him shirtless. He hasn't looked at the bruising since the night it happened. He's refused to let anyone see it, including himself. Damien's eyes go wide.

  
"Jesus, Blaine," Damien shakes his head at the large bruise on his chest. Blaine looks away from his nurse, sniffling back his tears. Damien takes a step closer, turning him around. More bruises from being thrown on the ground peppered his back in purples, blues, blacks, and yellows. The chemo side effects of easy bruising didn't really help either.

  
"They don't hurt anymore," Blaine shrugs.

  
"They look horrible," Damien whispers more to himself than anything else. Blaine turns back around and reaches for his shirt, but Damien pulls him in for a hug first. Damien had a few inches on Blaine, so the teen falls into his arms, his head resting on his chest. "Blaine," He breathes, rubbing his back carefully. Blaine breathes out a sigh, relaxing in his arms. "We'll keep you safe," Damien promises, patting his shoulder. "Alright, let's get this needle in your arm," When he pulls apart, he's wiping tears from his own eyes, and Blaine's heart breaks, but he can't help but smile a little. Damien and Marcus really did care about him, just like a son.

  
Blaine puts his shirt back on, and returns to his bed, while Damien put on a pair of light blue gloves, grabbing the needle from his cart. It take five tries this time, which is an improvement from six. It was almost as if his veins were disappearing totally.

"I may have to talk to your doctor about getting you a port instead," Damien says to himself.

  
"What?"

  
"It's a port that sits in your chest, and it's for different types of chemo, but is also used when your veins get harder to get access too, and I'm sure you hate getting poked as much as you do," Damien replies, finally finding a vein and attaching it to his IV bag. Blaine nods slowly, thinking it was just like a tube or something that attached to his chest when chemo came around. "We'll talk more about it later. Don't let it concern you yet," Damien advises, tossing his gloves in the trashcan. Blaine nods slowly, sinking back into his bed.

  
"Alright, I'll be back in a few hours, relax, try not to do anything strenuous. You know the drill," He gives Blaine a small smile, studying his face for a few seconds before nodding slowly and walking out with his cart behind him.

 

 

Damien is angry. He's angry as hell that Blaine's mother let this happen to her son. How did this happen? It wasn't just some fall or one hit, no it could be considered a beating, and Pam just let it happen. He would kill for a son like Blaine, and neither of his parents gave two shits about what happened to him. Blaine's been nothing but a great person, dealing with shit no teenager should have to go through, let alone do it by themselves, and his mother was gone, and his dad was an alcoholic asshole.

  
He's never actually met James Anderson, yet, he already hated the man to his core. He hated everything about him.

  
"Are you alright, Damien?" Molly asks, noticing the glare sat on the nurse's face.

  
"I just feel horrible for my patient," Damien sighs heavily, shaking his head.

  
"That Anderson boy?"

  
"Yup, Blaine, that's him," Damien nods, letting his cart sit as he leans against the nurse's station, going through his clipboard. "His dad is horrible to him. Beats him to hell. You should have seen his bruises, Molly,"

  
"I never know what to do when I see kids like that come in here. A lot times, they refuse to go against their parent," Molly replies. "Then you sound like the crazy one,"

  
"Yeah," Damien replies simply, letting out a heavy sigh.

  
"You really care about this one, don't you?"

  
"Yeah, I do," Damien admits, biting his bottom lip carefully while he looked through his paperwork, trying to distract himself.

 

 

For it being a Friday afternoon, it was quiet. Normally, kids would be roaming the halls on skateboards, or teasing the nurses, but for the most part, there wasn't anything going on. Damien was getting his work done, trying to keep his focus from Blaine, who was now on his IV flush. Kurt was also in there now, keeping him company. Although, Damien's sure that Blaine's just sleeping because he was so exhausted.

  
When he was sitting at his desk, filling out a patient's log on his computer, he heard some commotion from down the hall, near the entrance of the cancer wing. He looks up from his keyboard, seeing a couple talking to a nurse, who was trying to calm the man down. Damien scrunches his brow with confusion. He peeks over the top of the desk. His eyes go wide with realization.

  
Before he can even realize what he's doing, despite Molly calling after him, he's rushing down the halls to the situation.

  
"Thank God, Damien, I'm trying to tell this man he's too intoxicated to be here. He needs to go home," The young nurse, Damien recognized to be Lily.

  
"You need to leave," Damien says, studying the man. He could see the resemblance between the two. His dark, slicked back hair, that was falling from it's hold. His dark eyes with strong stature. Apperance was as far as the resemblances went. Meeting him made the nurse hate him even more.

  
"I need to see my son," James spats, his words slurring together.

  
"I don't think he wants to see you, ever," Damien says, eyeing the man up and down. Pamela's eyes go wide at Damien's words, and he can tell most don't talk to the man like this.

  
"You don't know him," James says, his lip turning with disgust.

  
"I know him better than you do, and I've only known him for a few months," He assures him, eyeing him up and down. "You need to leave before I call the cops,"

  
"His butt buddy is in there, isn't he?" James starts off down the hall, but Damien stops him by putting a hand on his chest. "Get your hand off me!" He smacks Damien's hand away, and Damien shakes his head.

  
"Leave before I call the police. You're intoxicated, and you're a danger to your son," Damien replies, his eyebrows raised, and his lips planted in a firm line. James scoffs, rolling his eyes. He takes a step closer to the nurse, testing him.

  
"Try me," His breath smells like a mix of scotch and whiskey, and Damien's just trying not to barf.

  
"You smell like a bar," Damien mumbles, looking the business man up and down.

  
"And you smell like a hospital. Are you a fag too? Is that why you're protecting-" Before James can finish the sentence, he's pushed up against the wall, Damien's arm to his throat.

  
"Finish the sentence, I dare you," Damien warns, his voice low. The two women gasp, and soon everyone in the hallway is looking at them.

 

"Fag," James whispers, his eyes hazy with alcohol. Damien sucks in a breath, starting to raise his fist, but his name is quickly being called from down the hall.

  
"Damien!" Marcus shouts, his footsteps getting loud as he rushes down the hall, past Blaine and Kurt who were standing in their doorway, eyes wide. He's out of breath by the time he gets to his husband, putting a hand over hist fist. "Put your damn fist down, now," He orders, lowering it before he can use it.

  
"This must be your fag," James says just as Damien was about to let him go, but instead he tightens his arm around his neck.

  
"Say it again!" Damien yells.

  
"Damien! Calm the hell down!" Marcus orders, taking his other hand in his own. Damien's shoulder relax, but he doesn't look away from James. "Don't let him get to you," Marcus says, starting to pull him away from the man. James just smirks.

  
"You are the trashiest, most disgusting, horrible person I have ever met. You were given two wonderful children and neither you nor your wife give to shits about them," Damien spats, looking between the couple. Pam's face goes from scared to hurt in an instant, but Damien doesn't feel the least bit bad for her.

  
"And you are the faggiest person I know," James replies, his words slurring together. Damien makes a break for him, but Marcus stops him.

  
"Babe, you need to calm down," Marcus drags Damien's chin to meet his eyes. "Alright?" Damien nods slowly.

  
"If I didn't care about my kids, you think he'd be here, getting treatment that he doesn't need?"

  
"I don't believe for a second that this was your doing," Damien replies, eyeing him once more.   
"I think it's best that you guys leave," Marcus says, looking to Pam. The small woman nods slowly, swallowing a lump in her throat.

  
"Honey, let's leave. We'll come back later," She gives her husband a small smile, but he doesn't return it. "We'll get you sobered up, and we can visit him later," James doesn't look at her. She puts a hand on his arm, which he automatically shakes off, making her flinch back. It didn't matter though, not Damien or Marcus didn't feel even a little bit bad for the woman.

  
"Pam, you take him to rehab, or I'll put him jail, okay?" Damien warns, once James stalks off towards the entrance. Pamela swallows, hanging her head down. "I have enough to put him in there," He warns. Pam nods again.

  
"I'm sorry," She says softly, looking at the couple for a few seconds. Damien couldn't help but feel as if he was talking to a young child. They don't say anything, because it wasn't okay, but she leaves behind her husband, trying to catch up with him.

  
"You good?" Marcus asks, cupping Damien's cheek with one of his hands, rubbing his cheek gently. Damien nods, but wraps his slightly taller husband in a hug anyway. Marcus's shoulders relax, and he rubs his back carefully. "We should go check on Blaine,"

  
"Blaine? Did he see that?" Damien pulls back and Marcus nods slowly. Damien hangs his head down, looking behind his husband to see Blaine standing beside Kurt, gripping Kurt's hand as if he would disappear if he let go. "Shit," He whispers, letting his husband go to get to his patient.

  
Before he can even get a single word out, Blaine's holding him tight in a hug, his IV flush still attached to his arm.

  
"My mom, she's okay," He breathes, letting out a deep breath. Damien relaxes, patting his back carefully. "I was so worried that he was gonna come here,"

  
"You're okay, Blaine. I won't let anything happen to you, ever," Damien comforts, holding him tight to his chest. Blaine nods slowly into his scrubs.

  
"Thank you. Thank you so much, Damien," Blaine says.

  
"Don't ever thank me for that," Damien says.

  
"Are you okay, Kurt?" Marcus asks, putting a hand on his arm. Kurt nods numbly.

  
"Yeah, just- yeah," Kurt nods, putting a hand on his forehead. Marcus frowns, pulling him in for a quick hug.

  
"You're okay," He comforts, patting his back gently. Kurt's taken aback at first by the hug, but accepts it, tension leaving his shoulders.

  
In all honesty, Kurt was just as scared as Blaine was. The last time he saw James, James had him pushed up against the wall, a knife to his throat.

  
"We'll get him taken care of," Damien looks between the two boys. If your mom doesn't do anything about it, we will," He promises, making the two nod once they've seperated.  
"I was scared," Blaine admits, wiping at his eyes, even though they were dry.

  
"I know," Marcus breathes, nodding his head, his eyebrows knitted with concern.

  
"Well, we can probably take your flush out now. How about we get that out, and you guys can head to bed, okay?" Damien says, nodding towards the IV stand.

  
"Yeah, that sounds good," Blaine nods, grabbing his pole and leading the way back into his room, but Kurt and Marcus leave down the hall. He heard Kurt say he needed to talk to Marcus about something.

  
Blaine sits himself down on the bed, swinging his legs up. Damien grabs a pair of gloves from the counter, and removes his needle for him. At the beginning of his treatment plan, Blaine would hiss and flinch, but by now he was so used to it, that it was as regular as waking up in the morning. When he goes to leave, Blaine tugs on his arm.

  
"I know that you said I shouldn't thank you, but thank you anyway," Blaine says, giving him a small smile. Damien's lips turn up in a smile.

  
"Of course," He says, removing his gloves and tossing them in the trashcan by the door, taking the empty IV bag with him. "Sleep well, alright?"

  
"Yeah," Blaine nods, a small smile on his face. They look at each other for a few more seconds before Damien makes his exit. When he goes to go back to the nurses station, he sees Marcus talking to Kurt down the hall. Kurt had tears rushing hard down his cheeks, and he was shaking horribly. He would have to ask Marcus about that later, but right now, he just sat back down in his chair, after dumping the IV bag. He takes a deep breath, running a hand over his face.

 

So much for a peaceful night.

 

 


	17. Chapter Seventeen: Rehab

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is another installment. These past few weeks have been crazy, but I made it through. Things should start to calm down after today, so hopefully my writing will be less crap. This chapter is really just a filler, but I hope you guys enjoy. This is just the beginning.

"Morning Sweetie," Pam greets, smoothing out her skirt with her fingertips and standing up straight at the sound of her husband's dress shoes coming into the kitchen, leaving her magazine ignored. The man stares at her oddly, as if she's grown a second head before going over to the coffee pot to pour himself a cup. Pam's breathing becomes ragged, obviously nervous about the events about to take place today.

  
"So, Honey, I figured I'd drive you to work this morning," She offers, managing a small smile. He reaches into the dark wood cupboard pulling out a bottle of whiskey and pouring a little into his mug before answering.

  
"Why would you do that?" He asks, sighing heavily, not bothering to look at her while she talks.. She swallows thickly, her smile faltering.

  
"I just feel like it's been forever since I've really had a chance to see you,"

  
"We went to bed in the same bed last night didn't we?" He comments, leaning against the counter, sipping on his coffee mixture, that Pam can only imagine how horrible it tastes. How could she possibly forget that? Him coming home, not just begging but demanding sex and her eventually relenting and letting him get what he wants.

  
"I know, but it's been a long time since I've driven you to work anyway, for old times sake?" She manages a smile, being a pro at fake smiles. She's had to do it countless times ever since he started drinking again. He eyes her up and down before shrugging his shoulders.

  
For the first couple years of marriage, she would drive him to work almost every morning. Sometimes, they would even leave early and get coffee and breakfast together.

  
"I don't give a shit," he says finally, leaving her alone in the kitchen. She relaxes instantly, pulling out her phone and sending off a quick text to someone important.

  
A half hour later and they were on the road. Pam was sitting forward in the driver's seat, gripping the steering wheel as if her life depended it. Her husband was sitting beside her, dressed and ready for work, but the smell of whiskey and scotch still lingered around him. At least he looked at put together.

  
"So, how has work been?" Pam clears her throat, unable to stand to silence any longer. They were almost there, but it was practically deafening. James turns his head to her, giving her a strange look before replying.

  
"Fine," He says simply, turning his attention back to the windshield.

  
They've been married for a long twenty seven years and they couldn't even hold a conversation. This was miserable. Pam nods slowly, slowing down to make a right turn.  
"Where are you going?" James asks, his voice stern, yet confused.

  
"Honey, I always take this way," Pam covers, shaking her head as if it was obvious. James eyes her once more, but lets her go down the street. Pamela keeps him busy by spouting a bunch of crap, and he seemed to be distracted enough that when she made another left turn, he didn't seem notice. He also didn't notice where they were going until he saw it at the end of the road.

  
"Pamela, what the fuck are you doing?" James says, sitting up in his seat at the sight of the large building that looked similar to a hotel, a hotel that few actually wanted to stay at.

  
"I'll explain when-"

  
"No, you'll explain right now!" He shouts, his voice echoing against the car walls and smacking his hand against the dashboard. Pam doesn't say anything, but does pick up speed slightly so he can't jump out. When they pull into the parking lot, like planned, Finn Hudson's red pick up truck, and Puck's motorcycle were sitting there waiting for them.

  
Puck was leaning against his bike, with Finn and Sam across from him, talking casually. Pam relaxes at the sight of them, ignoring her husband's yells. It's pathetic to feel better at the sight of three teenagers, but she couldn't help it. She pulls in beside Finn's truck, and hurries to get out, as does James.

  
"Pamela! You get back in this goddamn car before I have to do something about it!" James yells, smacking his hand on the top of the car, and slamming his door shut.

  
"You have a room ready, Darling," Pam says, cowering towards the three teenage boys.

  
"What?" James looks around at his surroundings, and that's when he sees the sign at the front of the building.

  
"Ohio Addiction Recovery Center," He reads aloud. When he turns back to the four, he's even more angry than before.

  
"You walk in by yourself or we drag you in. Those are your options," Sam says, crossing his arms over his chest, standing tall.

  
"I don't even know who the fuck you guys are!" James slurs.

  
"No, but we know who you are, and we know what you did to your son and my brother," Finn says, taking a step forward, trying to resist his urge to just punch the man in his jaw. Pam curls in on herself, slowly backing away from her husband's tall stature.

  
"You're just a bunch of teenagers, just like my son, who's-"

  
"Finish that sentence I dare you!" Sam shouts, pointing his finger accusingly at the man. James smirks.

  
"Look, bitch, I'm trying my hardest not to beat the living shit out of you, and your stupid ass smirks and remarks are making that really difficult. I agreed to give you a chance and nothing more than that," Puck says, taking a few steps towards Mr. Anderson, licking his lips, as if getting himself ready.

  
"You think you can hurt me?"

  
"I've been to juvie twice and I made juvie my bitch," Puck whispers, his face now inches away from the business man's. The three teens knew he was lying. Yes, he's been to juvie twice, but juvie made Puckerman it's bitch, not the other way around, but if it was going to get James to go in peacefully, then they would go with it.

  
"I suggest you go in peacefully," Finn warns. "You hurt my brother, and you're unarmed, so now it's three against a half a man, because I wouldn't consider you a full one. A man doesn't do the things you've done to Blaine, Cooper, or your wife," His voice is low and dangerous. Finn doesn't usually act like this, but when it came to his brother, he'll kill anyone. Now that James has nothing to hurt anything of them, and it's a guaranteed win, he's not afraid to go ham.

  
"What the hell would you know about being a man, you're nothing but a dumbass teenager. If you share blood with that faggot, I can only imagine what kind of diseases you have," James says. Just like that, a fist was colliding with his face, but it wasn't Finn's. Finn started for him, but it was Puck's fist, making a hard cracking sound against the business man's jaw. James crouches down, holding his jaw and Puck was shaking his hand off.

  
"Don't ever talk about my boy, Kurt, like that ever again!" He shouts. "Or I'll have to kill you!" He yells. Pam flinches, tears rushing down her cheeks. The badboy crouches down beside him. "I'll give you one more chance before I use full force, beat the living shit out of you, and drag you into that building, got it?" He warns. James looks up at the teen, spitting a little blood onto the pavement, getting to his feet.

  
"Please just-" Pam starts, not wanting to see anyone get hurt anymore, but James cut her off.

  
"Shut up, you bitch," He bites, rolling his eyes. Another hit to the face, only this time it was Sam.

  
"You are a shitty person. Your wife is one of the few people who actually give a rats ass about what happens to you, and you talk to her like that? With out her, we would have just called the police instead and sent you to prison," He tilts his head to the side, unable to fathom what was going on with this man. James Anderson really was a terror. James gets to his feet again, taking a deep breath, and flicking his teeth over his tongue.

  
"Your bag is in the trunk. I suggest you grab it and start walking," Finn says, his eyes squinted and his arms crossed. James adjusts his suit jacket, but walks over to the back of the car, popping the back trunk open. He sees the suitcase, and reluctantly pulls it out, starting to walk to the front door, finally admitting defeat. Pam's shoulders relax and she adjusts her purse strap, following her husband in. The three teens exchange a glance.

  
"Go call Kurt, Finn. We'll go in and walk them in," Puck says, nodding towards the couple walking in. Finn's shoulders relax and he nods, already pulling out his phone. Sam and Puck follow behind the Anderson's, hands stuck in their pockets.

  
Finn leans against his truck, dialing the familiar number. It doesn't even take two rings for the boy to pick up.

  
"Did it work? Is he gone?" Kurt asks, obviously seeing the caller ID. Kurt had been waiting for this phone call, having taken the first period of the day off to make sure that things went well. It's not like he'd be able to focus in school anyway, knowing what was going on. Somehow, Burt agreed, knowing what the kids were going through, as long as he promised to be there by lunch and he wasn't missing any important classes.

  
"Yeah, they're walking him in the building now," A deep sigh fills his speaker.

  
"Thank God. Thank you guys so much. I can't even begin to tell you just how much this means to Blaine and I," Kurt says. Even if Finn can't see him, he knows he's smiling.

  
"Don't thank us, we wanted to do this. Plus, Sam and Puck each got a good hit in," he shrugs, a small smile covering his lips, knowing just how bad they've all wanted to do this. Kurt chuckles.

  
"Good. Asshole," He murmurs, sucking in a deep breath. Finn chuckles. "Alright, I'll see you guys at school today. Thank you guys,"

  
"Of course," Finn says, "We'll see you later," With that, he hangs up, and follows the others inside.

  
It was beautiful inside. If it wasn't for the staff members dressed like nurses, it would look more like a resort instead of a rehab center. Everything was either tan or a dark brown color, making it feel more like a tropical get away and less like a hospital. Sadly, James would get to stay here for the next nine months, but luckily, it was away from Blaine and Kurt.

  
By the time he gets in, James is signing papers over at the entrance desk, his suitcase behind him.

  
"Ready Mr. Anderson? I'll show you to your room," A nurse says, wearing a pair of light blue scrubs. She was short, but she looked friendly, if her bright green eyes, and bright smile were anything to go by. James looks at the four behind him, raising one eyebrow. He rolls his eyes and reluctantly nods, not letting Pamela say goodbye to him. He follows his nurse down the hall and into an elevator.

  
"Nice work boys!" Puck cheers, raising his hand to give both of the smiling boys a high-five.

  
"Thank you boys, so much. I know it's what's best for him and Blaine," Pam says, tears in her eyes.

  
"Anything for Blaine, Mrs. Anderson," Sam smiles at her. She nods, returning the small smile. She takes in a deep breath before leaving the three in the lobby.

  
"We better get to school. We can make it by lunch if we hurry," Sam shrugs.

  
"And by hurry you mean stopping at Breadstixs for an early lunch, right?" Puck smirks. Sam smiles knowingly.

  
"Duh," He says simply, playfully rolling his eyes.

  
"Yes!" Finn cheers. "We deserve it!" He smiles, pumping his fist in the air happily.

  
"Come on boys! Let's get the hell out of here," Puck says, wrapping his arms around both their shoulders as they started out the doors and to their respectful vehicles.

 

 

-0-

 

  
"Are you sure?" Blaine asks, his face erupting in a smile.

  
"Yeah, they just dropped him off, Blaine. For now, he's gone," Kurt lets out a relieved sigh. Blaine's shoulders relax with tension he didn't know he was holding and sucked in a deep breath.

  
"Remind me to kiss every single on of those boys," Blaine teases, making Kurt laugh.

  
"I'll let them know," His boyfriend replies. Blaine couldn't see him, but he knew him well enough to know he had almost an identical facial expression as himself, knowing they've both been waiting for this day forever. "Alright, Baby, I'm sorry, but I have to go. Mr. Schue will wonder where I went. I can't hide in the bathroom all practice,"

  
"Okay, have fun at Glee, and I love you,"

  
"I love you too," Kurt replies.

  
As soon as Blaine hung up the phone, he couldn't help the large smile that was planted firmly on his face. His dad was officially in rehab, out of his life for at least nine months.

He couldn't feel more relieved. He just got off the phone with Kurt, who was practically crying with happiness. This man has made Kurt's life a living hell for the past few months, and Blaine a living hell for the past ten years, and just like that, with a phone call, he was gone.

  
"What are you smiling about?" Damien asks, a smirk on his face, seeing Blaine so happy. The nurse snapped on his gloves and started to remove Blaine's needle.

  
"My dad's officially in rehab," Blaine announces, allowing Damien access to his arm. Damien stops, his smile fading, staring at the boy in front of him.

  
"About damn time," He chuckles, letting his fingers find Blaine's hand, squeezing tightly. "I'm happy for you, Blaine, incredibly. I'm happy you'll be safe now,"

  
"From my dad. That still leaves cancer," Blaine slips his hand away from Damien's grasp, and shifts slightly, while Damien takes his needle out.

  
"Blaine-"

  
"I feel like I'm getting worse, so much worse. Getting out of bed anymore is a chore. I get dizzy when I stand for too long. I'm exhausted. I don't sleep at night anymore. I'm so sore all the time. I'm tired of this," Blaine sighs heavily, his face turning solemn.

  
It's true. In the past week, Blaine could count on his fingers how many times he's actually gotten out of bed due to lack of strength. Ever since he started his second round of chemo, the meds were making him weaker and even sicker. He hated it to say the least. Every once in awhile, he used to be able to get up and walk with Kurt, or dance around with him, but all they've done this week has been watch the movies Kurt got Blaine for Christmas, and Blaine was out before the opening credits were even finished. It was horrible.

  
Cooper was threatening to come back as well, due to Blaine's lack of strength. He says it's because Blaine may need him but Blaine knows that his unspoken words are "I'm scared this is the last time I'll talk to you. I'm scared this is it and you're dying," and Blaine couldn't blame him, because he was starting to feel that way too. He's scared this is the first of many horrible things to come.

  
"Why haven't you talked to your doctor?"

  
"I have. He just says that that's all part of the chemo and part of cancer," Blaine shrugs, biting his bottom lip.

  
"I'll see what I can do, alright?" Damien offers, dipping his head to meet Blaine's eyes, who nods.

  
"Thank you,"

  
"Of course," Damien smirks, giving the boy a wink. "Alright, I'll be back in a few hours to give you your second round. Have fun a support group today," Damien says, trashing his gloves and pushing his cart out. Blaine was about to reply, but Damien was gone and he felt as if he was about to be sick. He tosses his blankets off, his leg almost getting caught in his sheet as he throws himself from his bed, stumbling into the bathroom. He barely makes it to the toilet before he's throwing up the few things left in his stomach.

  
"This is getting old," Blaine mumbles to no one in particular, before having to dry heave once more.

  
This was nothing new. Ecspecially in the past week. The meds were making him nauseas, and Carole had even said she didn't throw up half as much when she was pregnant with Finn, and she threw up at least twice a day for the first and half of her second trimester.

  
He hated all of this. He hated being sick. He was sick of being sick, and as his doctor has said, he's not even halfway there yet. He still has a long ways to go. He plops himself down onto the floor, wiping at his mouth with his sleeve, not really caring anymore. He lets his head hit against the back of the wall, shutting his eyes and taking deep breaths to try and steady himself.

  
Hot tears were running down his cheeks, but after doing this so often, it became normal so he didn't even bother to wipe them away. He thought about calling Kurt, but he was still in school for another hour and he had support group in less than twenty minutes, so it would be pointless. So, he heaves himself off the ground with a loud groan, flushing the toilet as he did so. He walks over to the sink, pulling out his toothbrush and starting on his teeth. He brushed his teeth more than any normal human would, because he hated the taste of lingering bile in his mouth, it was worse than actually throwing up.

  
When finished, the singer stuff his toothbrush back into it's rightful cup and watched himself in the mirror.

  
If he could get any paler than earlier, he was, only this time he was a it green as well. His hair was still gone, not even able to grow any peach fuzz. He hated shaving, but at this point he missed it because it was one more thing that made him normal and able to be like everyone else. At least he didn't have to worry about it. His eyes were dull. He was just too tired to care anymore if the dark bags and circles under his eyes were anything to go by. Of course, there was his feeding tube too, which made it almost impossible to admit he wasn't a patient. It was loud against his skin and stuck out horribly.

  
The former Warbler shakes his head, unable to stare and crituqe any longer. It was starting to make him feel even more sick than before.

  
Instead, he shuffled back into his main room, pulling his too large hoodie over his head and tossing it on the pull out couch. He had nothing under it and he hated the way he looked anymore.

  
He wasn't in shape anymore. He used to have a slightly toned chest, with small pecs and a few lines on his stomach, but now he was skinny as hell. His ribs were showing more than they weren't and his skin was pasty and cool to the touch. The bruise was gone by now, but he swears he can still feel it.

  
Blaine hated it. He missed when he would take off his shirt and Kurt would smirk and lick his lips casually, but now Kurt just looked incredibly concerned for his wellbeing whenever he would remove his shirt, which wasn't often anymore. It only ever happened when he would accidently puke on it, or went to take a shower and Kurt happened to walk in at the right time or the wrong time, depending on how you look at.

  
The singer has never been too self consious, but cancer was defintley making it easier to hate how he looked. Everything that it was doing to him, made him slowly hate his apperance more and more. He's talked to Marcus about it before, but there wasn't really a simple answer to this problem.

  
He groans loudly at his thoughts, wishing they would get a little quieter. The tenor grabs a new, dark blue Dalton hoodie from his dresser, throwing it on. He grabs his grey beanie from one of his drawers as well, throwing it on his head carelessly. Clearly not caring if it looked good or not.

  
He was just too tired to care. Getting out of bed, and actually going to do different things around the hospital was getting more and more difficult, just because he was too exhausted to do it. Even if it was something simple like support group, or going to walk around with Kurt. He just got tired far too quickly.

  
Even singing and dancing wore him out halfway through the song. He hated that the most because it was the one thing he thought cancer would never take from him, but he was proven wrong fairly quickly.

  
Blaine sits himself down on the edge of the bed, slipping on his pair of worn out 'Tom's' and grabs his phone from his nightstand. Slowly, he heaves himself up, shuffling out of his room and down the hall to the support group room.

  
He walks through the halls with his arms wrapped tightly around himself. He was absolutely freezing and he would do anything to try and conserve body heat. The walk seems longer than normal, but it's probably just because he's been walking so slow.

  
When he arrives, almost everyone is there besides Marcus, he usually shows up last minute anyway. Leo is now sitting closer to Josie, their fingers laced together and laughing at something. Sadie is sitting alone on her phone and so is Lincoln. The only new thing was the new guy sitting on Leo's side, but a few paces away.

  
He's still got a full head of blond hair and a pair of nervous looking green eyes. He looks young, younger than anyone else here and Blaine's stomach sinks at that. The boy has his arms crossed around his chest, looking around anxiously as if someone was going to come up and bite him. His leg is bouncing like a jack-hammer as well. He may look healthy, but he doesn't act healthy.

  
Blaine just shrugs it off, knowing that he'd be introduced soon enough, and takes seat next to Sadie, who was too engrossed in her phone to even look up at her new partner.   
"Wow, Blaine, you don't look too good," Lincoln comments, looking up at his friend with worry. Blaine rolls his eyes.

  
"Thanks, Lincoln. You look great too. My week was great thanks for asking," Blaine teases, making Lincoln shake his head.

  
"You know what I meant," Lincoln groans.

  
"I know," His face falls. "I feel just as good as I look," Blaine adds with a dark sigh. Lincoln nods sympathetically, about to reply, but Marcus was soon coming in with his bag on his shoulder and a coffee in hand.

  
"Sorry I'm late guys, Thomas did not want to go to daycare today," Marcus sighs, removing his bag and pulling up a chair.

  
"We forgive you, like always," Leo shrugs, making everyone smile, including the new boy, even if it was a small one. Marcus sits down, coffee still in hand as he crosses one leg over the other.

  
"So, how is everyone?" He look across the room, a bright smile on his face, but it grows when he sees the new kid. "Welcome," He grins. "I was hoping you'd come today," The boy smiles shyly in return, looking around at the room. "Well, as you guys can see we have a new kid, so why don't we go across the room and introduce ourselves. A few groans are thrown across the room and Marcus just playfully rolls his eyes.

  
"Come on, Blaine, why don't you start us," He encourages. Blaine nods, getting to his feet.

  
"My name is Blaine, I'm seventeen years old, I have stage three B gastric cancer and I've been in the hospital for around three months now," He says, making sure to look at the new kid while he did so, who just stares at him in disbelief. Blaine sits himself back down, and Sadie stands up.

  
"I'm Sadie, sixteen, stage four leukemia, and I have around three months left,"

  
"Sadie," Marcus warns.

  
"Just trying to put things out onto the table," She says throwing her hands up. The room smiles at her bluntess, even Marcus chuckles.

  
"Lincoln here, sixteen, I have Rhabdomyosarcomas, fancy word, I know, and I've been here for around eight months now," When he's finished, the teen sits back down in his seat, and nods towards Josie, who finally lets go of Leo's hand to stand.

  
"My name's Josie, I'm sixteen, just turned, and I have stage three lymphoma and I've been here for about six months," He voice is as small as ever. She really didn't look fifteen, maybe thirteen at the most. Leo clears his throat, getting to his feet.

  
"As you can see, they saved the best for last, I'm Leo. I'm seventeen with stage two osteosarcoma. I've been here for four months," He sighs, sitting back down in his seat, but not with out a small bow.

  
"Aaron, go ahead and introduce yourself," Marcus nods towards the boy, his hands folded in his lap. Aaron gets to his feet slowly, shifting slightly under everyone's gaze.

  
"Aaron, fourteen, stage three Ewings sarcoma and I've been here for a few days," His voice is soft and light and reminds Blaine of a toddler. Fourteen. He was only fourteen, barely a teenager. How was he going through this? As much as Blaine didn't want to admit this, he can tell he may take this boy under his wing.

  
"Okay, now that that's done. You guys know the drill. Tell me a positive about this week. Even if it's a small victory,"

  
"I'll go!" Leo says, a bright smile on his face. Marcus's smile widens and he nods towards him. "I now have a girlfriend," Leo brags, looking down at Josie, who has a bright blush to her cheeks. The room erupts in laughter.

  
"Didn't that happen last week?" Sadie questions, and Leo nods his head.

  
"It will always be a positive," He shrugs his shoulders.

  
"Oh my God," Lincoln shakes his head and a few even make throwing up sounds. "You guys are disgusting, moving on! I have a positive," Lincoln adds.

  
"I'm happy for you Leo, and Josie, and go ahead Lincoln," Marcus says sighing heavily, his full attention now on Lincoln.

  
"My mom saw me yesterday. I've been here for eight months and I've only seen her twice, so my brother dragged her here," Lincoln can't help the large smile on his face. Marcus's face lights up.

  
"Lincoln, that's fantastic, how are you two now?"

  
"Good, she apologized and I could tell it was sincere. It wasn't just some bullshit," He shrugs, sticking his hands into his pockets.

  
"Good, I'm so happy for you, Buddy," Marcus smiles nodding his head.

  
"Alright, my positive is that I finally got to listen to the new Britney album," Sadie shrugs, interrupting their moment.

  
"I never took you for someone who listens to Britney Spears," Blaine comments.

  
"Good, that means I keep it well hidden," She smirks, looking to the boy with one eyebrow raised.

  
"Alright, Josie?" He nods towards the small girl.

  
"Well, I have a boyfriend," She shrugs casually, looking to Leo carefully, her cheeks a bright pink. Leo smiles brightly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

  
"Oh my God! Blaine, if you even mention Kurt, I may just throw up on you. I can only handle so much puppy love in a day," Lincoln teases, looking to the boy carefully.

  
"No, I won't, although, he is pretty amazing," He shrugs. The room chuckles and Lincoln playfully rolls his eyes. "But, today I got the call that my dad is offcially in rehab for at least nine months," He can't help the large smile on his face. It feel weird to say out loud, but his shoulders relax with tension. He looks at Marcus, who looks blank beside the few tears in his eyes.

  
"Jesus," Marcus breathes, his shoulders relaxing. "Blaine, I can't even express how happy I am to hear that," There isn't a trace of a smile on his face, but he knows how the man feels by the look in his eyes. Pure joy. Tears of happiness.

  
"Wow, before Marcus starts crying, why don't we move on?" Sadie suggests, a smile even on her own face. "Aaron?"

  
"I came here last week, but at least I can get away from my helicopter parents?" It's more of a question than anything, but everyone can see he really means it.

  
"Good," Marcus says, wiping his eyes with his fingertips. "Good," He repeats. "It's the little things that count," He smirks at the young boy, "Let's move on to the hard stuff. Is there anything anyone wants to get off their chest and talk out?"

  
It surprises everyone when Aaron speaks up first.

  
"I'm scared that my parents think I'm going to try and kill myself again," His voice is quiet, and it strains everyone's ears, even just to get a piece of his words.

  
"How'd you do it?" Sadie asks.

  
"Sadie!" Marcus warns, his head snapping towards the girl, who has her face put into a firm line. She bows her head, now realizing what she had just asked. It shocks everyone when he answers.

  
"I slit my wrists," He replies, lifting up his long sleeves to reveal, a relatively new, scar running from the base of his palm all the way up to his forearm along his right arm.   
"How are you still here?" Lincoln breathes, his face full of sympathy, but unable to tears his eyes away from his scar.

  
"My mom found me before I could do it to my left one. My mom and dad left, but she had forgotten her purse, so they had to come back and she found me starting on my left arm," Aaron responds.

  
"Holy shit," Blaine breathes, unable to think of anything else.

  
"This is something we can discuss in one-on-one counseling, okay?" Marcus says, looking to the boy with concern. Aaron nods. "Alright, let's keeping going," He sighs heavily.

  
"I'm scared," Sadie sighs wistfully.

  
"Of what?" Marcus asks, tilting his head to the side.

  
"Dying," She replies. "I'm still so young. I've barely left my state, and I just wanna go and see the world, but there's no time," She shrugs.

  
"You can still pull through," Josie says softly.

  
"I doubt it," Sadie replies, looking down at her hands. "I don't know what's after this and I'm scared," She admits sheepishly, shaking her head. Blaine shifts uncomfortably, not knowing what to say, because he feels the same way. He doesn't wanna die either.

  
"I wanna tell you that you won't die, but at this point, the only thing you can do is hope for the best, and try and get rid of things on your bucket list," Lincoln replies, shrugging his shoulder helplessly. Sadie nods slowly. "We'll always be here for you, no matter what, but even if the doctor thinks you aren't gonna make it, you might as well start tying loose ends, ya know?"

  
"Yeah," Sadie says quietly. With something like that, Marcus would have told them that saying that was not okay, but he wasn't wrong, so he just remains quiet.

  
"I wanna fix this for you, but we can't. We'll be by your side, and you know that, but you can't worry about this . It's happening, but don't let it ruin the life you have left," Marcus says, a couple tears falling down his eyes. Sadie nods, still looking numb, like nothing would phase her.

  
"Enjoy the time you have left," Leo says quietly.

  
"You're right, but can we move on?" Sadie sniffles, wiping at her under eyes. Marcus nods, doing the same to his own eyes.

  
"Are you sure?" Lincoln asks, reaching over to put a hand on her shoulder. At this point there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Everyone was emotional, and they had already lost Miles, they didn't want to lose Sadie too.

  
"Yeah," Sadie replies, sniffling back her tears. The boy nods slowly, respecting her wish.

  
"Well, I can't handle not having Miles here," Lincoln admits, dipping his head. "I swear I see him everywhere. I dream about him for Christ's sakes. I don't know what to do. I went to his funeral. I saw his grave. I have closure, but I just can't stop thinking about him," He scoffs.

  
"I'm so sorry, Lincoln. I know how much Miles meant to you," Blaine says, his own tears in his eyes.

  
"I feel like he's watching me and I just wish I could talk to him one more time, just once. I just wanna ask how he's doing and what it's like to be dead, ya know?"

  
"Of course," Marcus nods.

  
"I just wish we could watch one more movie together. I miss him like crazy,"

  
"Why don't you write him a letter?" Marcus suggests.

  
"To a dead person?" Lincoln scrunches his face.

  
"Yeah, write a letter, telling him everything you need to tell him and it may help relieve some of the pressure from your shoulders. I can help. Write it out and you and I will go and drop it off at his gravestone, okay?" Marcus says, concern written on his face.

  
"Okay, you are the therapist," He shrugs, a small smile coming on his lips. Marcus smiles gently,

  
"Yup, I sure am," He chuckles, reaching over to pat the boy's knee carefully, making Lincoln's smile grow.

 

  
They get through the other two pretty quickly, considering that the two of them were too wrapped up in each other to really pay attention to anything else going on in the world, good or bad. Blaine just hopes Kurt and him weren't like this when they first got together, because it was already starting to get annoying.

  
"Well, let's save everything else for next week or for a one-on-one session. I'll see you guys next week and stay positive. Blaine, stay after, please?" Marcus asks, and Blaine nods his head, that currently feels as if it's stuffed with cotton. Marcus gets to his feet, starting to talk to Aaron for a bit, who is trying to escape without talking to anyone at all. Marcus wouldn't let him though. He must be trying to convince him of something.

"Well, as least you don't have a black eye anymore," Sadie teases, punching Blaine's arm playfully, even though it almost knocks him over and out of his chair. A week ago, he may have been able to take the punch, but this week he's felt like all the energy has been drained from his body. Blaine chuckles lightly, despite himself and nods.

  
"Yeah," He nods his head. He never really talked to the group about what happened with his dad. He didn't want to go through that with everyone so he didn't. He was sick of spouting the same crap the everyone.

  
"I'll see you next week, Blaine," Sadie says, getting to her feet and starting for the door when she realizes Blaine isn't going to be much fun to tease today. Blaine goes to stand, but he as soon as he's standing, he's wavering on his feet. He blinks his eyes a few times, putting a hand on his pounding head, trying to get himself to steady, but he was starting to get tipsy, barely able to stand straight. He felt like he might pass out right then and there.

  
"Blaine?" He can hear Marcus's voice, but it's muffled. His vision goes hazy and the last thing he sees is the man running towards him at full speed, abandoning Aaron before he's falling against the floor, his vision going black, and a pain in his head.

  
When he wakes up next, he's lying down. He blinks a few times, looking around blindly. He's in his own bed, but the lights above him seem so much brighter than they ever have been before. He brings his hand up to cover the lights above him, squinting his sensitive eyes.

  
"Blaine?" He hears Kurt's voice. He looks down himself to the end of the bed where Kurt was pacing back and forth in front of his bed, biting at his nails, a stupid habit that he's had forever.

  
"Kurt," Blaine breathes, laying his head back down on the pillow.

  
"Oh thank God," Kurt sniffles, hurrying over to the side of his bed, lacing their fingers together instantly. The more Blaine wakes up the more he notices about Kurt's appearance. His cheeks are stained red and his face is wet from tears that he hasn't bothered to wipe away.

  
"Why are you crying?" Blaine asks, panic filling his body. "What happened?" He goes to sit up, but Kurt pushes him back down.

  
"You need to lie down, first off," Kurt replies, his eyebrows high. Blaine smiles gently, squeezing Kurt's hand tightly. "You were in support group, and you blacked out. I was sitting in your room, waiting for you to get out when I saw Lincoln running through the halls yelling for help. I stuck my head out and I heard him mention your name to Damien. My knees went weak," Kurt chuckles a little, but Blaine doesn't even crack a smile. "God, you scared me. I thought that was it. I thought you were leaving me when they came back with you on a Goddamn gurney," Kurt sniffled, trying not to cry again. Blaine squeezes Kurt's fingers.

  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that," Blaine breathes, guilt filling his chest.

  
"You're okay now, that's all the matters," Kurt nods, wiping at his nose. Blaine smiles in agreement. He starts to sit up to press his lips against his boyfriend's, but Kurt stops him. "I thought I told you to lie down," Kurt fusses.

  
"Then reach down here and give me a kiss," Blaine chuckles, a small smile on his lips. Kurt returns the smile, leaning down to capture Blaine's lips in for a kiss.

  
It's slow, both of them just absorbing each other's presence. Kurt's lips taste of salt, but Blaine doesn't seem to be bothered, because he's quickly opening Kurt's mouth with his own, breathing through his nose during the kiss. Kurt furrows his brow, cupping one of Blaine's cheeks. Blaine goes to bring his free hand up, but something tugs at his arm. He pulls back instantly, looking over at his arm. An IV was going through his elbow.

  
"What is this for?"

  
"You passed out because you were dehydrated and a little malnourished," Kurt says, wiping his nose with his sleeve and look over at the IV. "Why didn't you tell anyone you were throwing up like that?"

  
"I did! He said it was just part of chemo. I swear," Blaine replies.

  
"Then what about the water? We've been pestering you on this for awhile now, and now looked what happened," Kurt scolds, sighing heavily.

  
"I know and I'm sorry. I thought I was drinking enough. It felt like all I was drinking was water, gallons and gallons of it,"

  
"Well, it's not enough, so you need to drink more," Kurt huffs, squeezing Blaine's hand tightly, a small smile on his face.

  
"Yes, Doctor," Blaine teases.

  
"Blaine, I'm serious,"

  
"I know, so am I. I promise I'll drink more water," Blaine's smile fades and puts his free hand, mindful of his IV now, and rests it on Kurt's hip.

  
"I know you will, because I will force you too," Kurt chuckles, laying one hand over Blaine's chest, rubbing his thumb across the fabric of his t-shirt. They stare at each other for a few more seconds before Kurt speaks once more. "Are you feeling okay?" His smile fades.

  
"What do you mean?" Blaine scrunches his brow.

  
"I'm worried about you, B," He replied, sighing heavily.

  
"Don't. I'm fine. I really am,"

  
"Don't lie to me, Blaine. You just passed out," He scoffs, squeezing his boyfriend's hand tightly as he possibly could. Blaine sighs heavily, looking down at his toes. "What else has been going on?" He adds.

  
"I throw up a lot, I'm tired all the time. I have nightmares at least three times a week, and they always seem so real. I hate them so much. It's also the worst thing my mind can think of, things that can actually happen, and it hurts so bad to go through it. Getting out of bed feels like a chore anymore. All I wanna do anymore is snuggle and sleep all day," Blaine replies, sighing heavily. Kurt's face falls.

  
"Have you told Marcus about the nightmares?"

  
"Yeah. He wants me to go on medication,"

  
"Then you should try it,"

  
"Don't. I don't want to argue with you today," Blaine breathes, pulling their conjoined hands up to his lips so he can press a kiss to Kurt's knuckles. Kurt sighs heavily, knowing they should talk about this again, but like Blaine, he doesn't want to fight either.

  
"Okay, what else?"

  
"Do you know it's been two and a half months since I've seen my mom?" Blaine looks down at their hands, rubbing his thumb across Kurt's pale skin. Kurt relaxes slightly.

  
"Blaine, I'm so sorry. I wanna say that it's because she's been busy or something, but we both know that's a lie,"

  
"I'm starting to think she's as bad as my dad. Maybe she doesn't love me as much as I thought she did," Blaine says quietly, his voice drifting off.

  
"I don't know how she can't," Kurt sighs, looking to her boyfriend with admiration.

  
"Why?" Blaine scoffs, shaking his head. "I'm worthless at his point. Just a body waiting to fall apart,"

  
"Blaine, stop that," Kurt says, squeezing his hand tightly. "Don't talk like that. I've told you this a million times, you're going to be okay, and you'll never be worthless. I don't fall in love with worthless people. I fall in love with amazing ones. Ones that make your jaw drop when they walk past and ones that are sweeter than a lollipop, but stronger than a bodybuilder," Kurt teases, a smile forming on his lips. Blaine playfully rolls his eyes, shaking his head.

  
"I mean it," Kurt replies, leaning forward to press his forehead against Blaine's. "You're amazing, Blaine. Absolutely wonderful. I just wish you could see yourself the way I see you," He adds, pecking the boy's nose gently, making Blaine's smile.

  
"What did I do to deserve you?" Blaine asks, wrapping his arms around Kurt's shoulders, and despite Kurt's protests, sits up with help from the sides of his bed and Kurt.   
"I ask myself that question everyday," Kurt chuckles, nuzzling their noses together lazily. "I love you so much,"

  
"I love you more," Blaine sighs with content, bringing Kurt's lips in for a kiss, this time just a brief peck, but it was followed by a couple more.

  
Kurt pulls back, sucking in a deep breath.

  
"How are you doing with your dad?"

  
"Honestly, I feel great. He can't hurt me anymore," Blaine shrugs, lacing their fingers back together. Kurt smiles.

  
"Good, I was worried that you might be hurt or confused or something. I don't know how I would feel if my dad had to go through that,"

  
"Yeah, but your dad is amazing and my dad is one of the worst people I have ever met in my entire life," Blaine chuckles, and Kurt's face falls, but he nods anyway. "Now, he can't hurt me, and he won't have the chance to ever hurt you," Blaine adds, taking in a deep breath.

  
Kurt shifts a little and Blaine gives him a strange look. Kurt never could lie, even if he tried. He would always shift and look uncomfortable, ask Burt. How do you think they always got caught when they wanted to have a sleep over or got caught making out?

  
"Kurt, what haven't you told me?" Blaine questions, adjusting himself so he's sitting up against the back of his bed.

  
"Nothing," He shrugs, mustering up a smile, but his boyfriend wasn't buying it.

  
"No, you're lying. What happened? Did my dad hurt you?" Panic sets into Blaine's spine, and he's checking Kurt for injury as if it just happened yesterday.

  
"The mark is gone," Kurt replies, shaking his head.

  
"So, he did hurt you. What happened? Tell me now," Blaine orders, his eyes filled with concern. Kurt tries to pull his hand away, but Blaine wouldn't let him, holding on tightly to his fingers.

  
"It's nothing, Blaine, it doesn't matter. You're dad is gone for now," He shrugs casually.

  
"Yes, it does matter, now please, talk to me," Blaine begs, squeezing his hands.

  
"It was awhile ago," Kurt starts, looking down at their hands.

  
"Like how long ago?"

  
"A month ago?" Kurt questions, trying to think of the date it all happened.

  
"You're just now telling me? Why?"

  
"Because I didn't want you to worry about that. You have enough on your plate," Kurt shrugs helplessly.

  
"What happened? Tell me everything and don't leave a single thing out, alright?" Blaine says, raising one eyebrow higher than the other. Kurt nods slowly, taking a deep breath.

  
"It was when Finn and I were helping at the garage and we were working, getting things done, whatever," He shrugs it off, "Then Finn saw your dad come in and he tried to cover for me, but he just came through the garage yelling for me," He pauses, trying to decide if he really wanted to tell Blaine all of this, but Blaine squeezes his hands and he continues. "Then, he pinned me against the wall. He had a knife, Blaine," Kurt scoffs at the memory. He remembers his heart racing a million miles an hour, his body unable to react to anything going on.

  
"Is that when you had that cut on your neck?" At Kurt's nod he continues. "You never did give me a good excuse for that," he replies.

  
"I did too!" Kurt chuckles lightly.

  
"You said you cut it while shaving, but you never even have a stubble and there's no way a cut was made like that by accident with a shaver,"

  
"Hey, you believed it," Kurt replies, a small smile on his lips.

  
"Then what happened?" Blaine's face falls, wanting to know everything.

  
"Then my dad threatened to call the police, he cut me and then left, saying that if I ever came near you again, he'd kill me," Kurt replies. "He said some other stuff, but it doesn't matter," Kurt shakes his head, dismissing it.

  
"Yes it does, tell me," Blaine encourages, letting Kurt know he was there, by running his thumbs across the back of his knuckles.

  
"He said I was nothing and that the only reason you loved me was because you were going through a phase. He said you don't love me at all," Kurt replies, hanging his head down. He felt stupid for the tears pricking the back of his eyes, but he couldn't help it. Blaine was getting beaten down and he took it like a champ, James says some mean words and he's already crying. His boyfriend takes his chin between his thumb and forefinger, lifting it up so they're eyes meet.

  
"You are not nothing. You are my everything. This isn't a phase, because I can't imagine my life with out you beside me. I don't know what'd I do if I ever lost you, Kurt. You're my life," Blaine replies. Kurt nods. He knew what James's said wasn't true, but he couldn't help the pain in his heart whenever he thinks about.

  
Blaine took him out of his dark hole, and showed him the light. He reminded him what a wonderful place the world can be, how important he really is. Without Blaine, Kurt really would be nothing.

  
"Never forget that, okay?" Kurt nods again, and Blaine pulls him in for a tight hug, Kurt burying his face into the crook of Blaine's neck. "I love you,"

  
"Love you back," Kurt chuckles lightly, as Blaine rubs his back carefully and gently.

  
"Without you, Kurt, I don't think I'd be here. I think I would have given up as soon as I started. Before you came along, I had nothing besides Dalton to live for, and you gave me a second family and it means the world to me. You changed my life, Kurt. You make it worth living," Blaine says, pulling back so their foreheads are touching, resting against each others. Kurt smiles, sniffling back his tears.

  
"God, you make my heart pound, still," Kurt chuckles, leaning forward to capture his lips in a kiss, holding him there for a few seconds, wrapping his arms around Blaine's neck and pulling him in close. Blaine smiles into the kiss, their wet lips smacking together in unison. Blaine's hands are loose at Kurt's waist, holding him just tight enough to hold him still. Blaine's tongue runs across Kurt's bottom lip. Of course, he gains access, exploring the very familiar place with his tongue. Kurt takes a breath through the kiss, his cheeks flushing a deep red.

  
Blaine's the one to pull back first, needing to catch his breath. Their lips are kiss swollen and dark red, but neither minded.

  
"You take my breath away," Kurt breathes, closing his eyes, their foreheads still against each other's. Blaine smiles, pecking his cheek chastely.

  
"Then I'm doing my job right," Blaine smiles, pulling Kurt in closer for a tight hug. Kurt giggles as Blaine starts a trail of kisses from behind his ear all the way down to his collar bone.

  
"Blaine," Kurt laughs, feeling extra ticklish today. Blaine chuckles, Kurt feeling the vibrations through the kisses, sending shivers down his spine. Blaine hums into the next one, sucking on Kurt's pale skin, just enough to give him a bright red, wet hickey. He pulls back after a little bit, pecking Kurt's forehead as he does so. "Did you really just give me a hickey?" Kurt questions, raising one eyebrow higher than the other at his boyfriend.

  
"I'd say it's one of my best ones," Blaine shrugs, running his thumb across it, making Kurt roll his eyes.

  
"Of course you think that," Kurt sighs. "My dad is supposed to come and see you today. How am I supposed to cover this up?" He asks, running his fingers across, as if he could feel it. Blaine smiles.

  
"Wear one of your many jackets to cover it up. I know you didn't leave the house without one," Blaine shrugs, smiling at the mark he left behind. Kurt rolls his eyes.

  
"You know me too well, Anderson," Kurt smiles, adjusting his shirt collar so it covers a part of it.

  
"You didn't tell me your dad was coming by," Blaine says, frowning slightly.

  
"I called him before you woke up and he said he'd stop by after work," Kurt replies, getting to his feet to go over to his bag sitting on the pull out couch. Blaine leans back in his bed, bringing the blankets up closer to his chin. "He was really worried about you," Blaine's face falls, and guilt fills his stomach. He hated everyone worrying about him like this. He was fine, and they were taking time out of their days just to sit in a room with him. It was ridiculous.

  
"I'm sorry," Blaine sighs, looking down at the sheet, picking at it carefully.

  
"Baby, you're fine. It's not like you wanted to pass out. We were just worried is all," Kurt replies, a smile grazing his features. Blaine nods hesitantly. The countertenor lets out a loud sigh, going back to his boyfriend to take his hands in his own. "Seriously, it's okay," He nods again, looking his boyfriend in the eyes with a small smile. Blaine sighs, but nods again.

  
"Okay," He echoes, leaning forwards to press another chaste kiss to his lips. "Did anyone call Cooper? He'll get mad if someone doesn't call him," Blaine sighs heavily, unable to help but roll his eyes at his brother.

  
"No, but I will, but later. Right now, I just wanna stay with you," Kurt replies, letting his forehead fall against Blaine's. Blaine smiles, reaching up to press another few kisses to the boy's lips.

  
"So-" Blaine's words are cut off by Kurt's lips and soft voice.

  
"No talking," Kurt smiles, cupping one of Blaine's cheeks with his palm. Blaine's smile grows. The sound of a throat being cleared out, makes them both pull apart rather quickly, and look to the door with wide eyes. Burt was standing there one eyebrow higher than other and his hands stuck deep in his pockets, a disapproving look on his face.

  
"Hey Dad," Kurt smiles, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

  
"Hi, Burt," Blaine says awkwardly, his cheeks turning a light pink.

  
"Hey boys. I'll just pretend I didn't see that," Burt replies, a smirk on his face. The two boys nod quickly, agreeing with the man. "Kurt, can you step out a moment? I wanna talk to Blaine," He says, nodding towards his son.

  
"Oh, yeah. I'll go call Cooper," Kurt says, getting to his feet and grabbing his phone from his bag. Blaine smiles at him, and his cheeks turn even darker when Kurt presses a soft, protective kiss on the top of his head on his way out. Kurt smiles at his dad on his way out, and Burt pats his shoulder. Blaine shifts in his bed, for some reason, worried about what Burt wanted to talk about.

  
"So, how you feeling, Kiddo?" Burt asks, picking up one of the waiting chairs, and setting is beside his bed.

  
"I'm alright. Tired, a little hazy, but I'm fine," Blaine replies, a small smile on his face.

  
"That's to be expected. Have you talked to your doctor yet?" Burt asks, raising his eyebrows expectantly.

  
"No, I'm going to guess that he'll be coming in before the night is over with though," Blaine nods, crossing his arms over his chest, careful of his IV.

  
"Would you relax, Kid? I'm not here to chew your head off. I know you and Kurt make-out. Elizabeth and I did all the time at your age," Burt chuckles, putting a hand on his leg. The singer smiles gently, his shoulders relaxing slightly.

  
"Now, honestly, how are you holding up?" Burt asks again, his lips put into a tight, firm line.

  
"I feel like it's a lot. I feel like everything is happening at once," Blaine admits truthfully, setting his hands in his lap. Burt nods.

  
"It is. Everything is happening fairly quickly, but you can push through this. I know you can," Burt comforts, patting the boy's leg. "I heard about your dad," He blurts out.

Blaine's face falls.

  
"Oh," It's all he can think of to say. He ducks his head, looking down at his sheet, picking at the little balls of fabric.

  
"Hey, don't get like that," Burt warns, pointing his finger at the boy. "You have nothing to be ashamed of, not a bit. You don't need him anyway," Burt adds, his lips pursed like he always did when scolding someone. Blaine looks up, nodding his head carefully. He takes in a deep breath before Burt continues.

  
"Blaine, you are an amazing kid. You really are, and if he can't see that then he's the one missing out, not you," Burt replies.

  
"It's hard to say that, when I'm the one that missed out on having a dad all my life. He never came to any of the plays I was in, even if it was a lead roll, or came to any of my show choir things. On Father's Day, I'm the one that didn't know who to celebrate it with. I'm the one who didn't know who to write my paper about when we had to explain who our hero was-" He stops, getting caught up in his emotion and choking on his words. Burt watches him talk, not saying anything. He looked blank, like he was absorbing Blaine's feelings, but still processing it.

  
"He's the one who didn't get to go to those things. He's the one who missed out on an amazing son. You were right there that entire time, and he missed out because he didn't realize what a wonderful person you are," Blaine scoffs at the mechanic's words, shaking his head. "I'm serious, Blaine. I would be happy to call you my son. In fact, I do," He adds, leaning forward as he says the words.

  
"When I tell the guys I'm visiting you, I don't say Kurt's boyfriend, no, I say I'm going to see my son. Blaine, you have a father, me," Blaine looks up at him, tears starting to form in his eyes, suddenly feeling guilty. "Given, yes, our first meeting may not have been the best," He stops to chuckle, as does Blaine, at the memory of the time Blaine came into the garage, saying Burt needed to talk to his son about sex. "But when I met you the second time, Kurt bringing you over for dinner, you won me over the second you offered to help Carole in the kitchen. Of course, I would never tell you that then, but you did. Then we had dinner, all five of us, and that's when I decided I couldn't let you go," Burt chuckles.

  
"Kid, I just wish you would get out of your own head and get your dad's opinions out of your brain, because you're a great person, Blaine. Everyone but you can see it,"

  
"Thank you," Blaine breathes, his shoulder relaxing totally.

  
"Don't thank me," Burt says. "Like I said, I will gladly be your father figure, because I care about you just as much as I care about Kurt and Finn,"

  
"I don't think you understand how much that means to me," He says, wiping at his eyes, trying get rid of the tears falling down his cheeks.

  
"I think I do," Burt nods. "I love you, Kiddo. Now, come here," Burt opens his arms, and Blaine leans forward, practically falling into them.

  
"I love you too, Burt," Blaine says, as Burt smiles, patting his back in a fatherly way. They hold it for a few seconds, before they pull apart.

  
"Have you talked to your mom at all?" Burt asks, leaning back in his chair, his elbows on his knees.

  
"No, I haven't seen or heard from her in a couple months. She refuses to answer my calls and won't come and visit me," Blaine shrugs, rolling his eyes. Burt sighs heavily, as if deciding what he wanted to say next.

  
"I'm sorry. You don't deserve that, at all," He shakes his head with disbelief. How did one of the sweetest kids get stuck with such crappy parents. One is an abusive alcoholic, and the other is starting to become a flake. How was this fair at all?

  
"I'm used to it. She does this sometimes. Sometimes she'll just leave for awhile. It was never this long, but it doesn't matter," He shrugs.

  
"It does matter, because you don't deserve that. Do you think you'll let her back in if she does come back?"

  
"I don't know. Maybe. Depends on what she presents to me," He replies, sighing heavily. Burt nods in agreement. Blaine was forgiving, but he knew where the line was, and when it was too much. "Well, you always have Carole and I. You can't get rid of us no matter what. Even is you and Kurt surprise everyone on the planet, and don't work out, we'll always be beside you," Burt promises, returning his hand to Blaine's leg. Blaine smiles. "Although, I don't see you and Kurt breaking up any time soon. You guys look like Elizabeth and I did. In love," Blaine chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. He can feel the heat rise to his cheeks.

  
"I love him so much. He's my world,"

  
"And I know you're his, so don't mess it up, alright?" Burt says raising one eyebrow higher than the other. Blaine chuckles, nodding his head.

  
"Never," He says with a smile. Burt smirks, nodding. As if on cue, a knock at the doorframe made them both turn their heads towards the source of the noise. Kurt was standing there sheepishly.

  
"Are you guys done being sappy?" He asks, slowly walking in.

  
"Yeah, we're done," Burt chuckles, rolling his eyes playfully. "What are your guys' plans for the night?"

  
"I'll probably stay late and we'll probably just chill, maybe watch a couple movies, even if Blaine does fall asleep within the first ten minutes," Kurt says, sitting at the edge of Blaine's bed. Blaine smiles, lacing their fingers together. Burt smiles, looking down at their conjoined hands.

  
"You're welcome to join us. You did have a long drive out here," Blaine offers, a small smile on his face.

  
"Well, depends on what you're watching," Burt teases, a smile on his face.

  
"No football movies, or any sports movies for that matter," Kurt says, putting a finger up in protest.

  
"Wouldn't dream of it," Blaine smirks, as Kurt reaches into Blaine's nightstand, searching through the movie case in there. Burt just smile at them, getting comfortable in his chair as he did.

  
That's how they spent the night, Kurt lying beside Blaine, with Blaine's head resting against Kurt's chest, and Burt sitting with his hands behind his head, watching the movie Blaine had finally picked out after a little bicker between him and Kurt about what to watch. Of course, Blaine did end up falling asleep, but instead of ten minutes, it was twenty.

 

 


	18. Chapter Eighteen: Redemption

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, my weekend was spent binging Daredevil on Netflix and writing. All weekend. So, I was able to make another chapter this weekend and edit it this week. I don't know how to feel about this one. It just has a weird vibe to it, but I'm going to post it anyway, because I really don't think that I can fix it. So, I hope you can tolerate this one! Also, before anyone says anything, yes Blaine is eighteen now, and yes he's still in the "Teen" cancer ward, because no website gave me a clear answer, so I said "screw it. I'll do it how I want" and so, he will remain in his room and remain in the same ward.

Most of Blaine's days were spent lying in bed at this point, and today was no different. After passing out in support group, his doctor wanted him to stay in bed as much as possible and Blaine would gladly do it. He was getting weaker anyway, and he spent most of his time in bed before. He was back on his chemo routine though because Dr. Thomas was scared to put off chemo anymore times. So, his days were now spent watching movies, sleeping, cuddling with Kurt, reading, or working on homework, all while having a needle in his arm. He hated it, but he knew it's what was best for him.

  
Right now, he was half asleep, watching 'Cats' and cuddling up to his sheets. His eyes were starting to droop and his brain was going fuzzy with sleep. It was only two in the afternoon, and he was already exhausted and ready for another nap. He really was like a toddler, a sick, pathetic toddler.

  
Just when he was about to fall asleep, and hopefully dream of kittens and rainbows, heard a voice at his door.

  
"Knock knock," A familiar, excited voice says from his doorway, knocking their knuckles against the doorframe. Blaine picks up his head, his eyes still heavy, to see Cooper standing there, dressed in his usual leather jacket, and his hair pulled back into a perfect coif. He seemed to have a new essence about him, and Blaine was sure New York City had that effect on him. It was almost like a happy glow.

  
"Cooper," Blaine smiles, slowly lifting himself up in bed and adjusting it so he could sit up.

  
"Wow, you look like shit," Cooper says, a smirk on his lips as he comes in the rest of the way.

  
"Oh, wow, thanks. I'm doing great thank for asking. No, I feel good. I'm so happy you're here. How was New York?" Blaine teases, shaking his head. Cooper chuckles, coming in closer to wrap his little brother in for a tight hug.

  
"How you doing, Squirt?" He asks, patting his shoulder and holding him in a death grip.

  
"Tired," Blaine replies. As if on cue, a loud yawn escapes his lips. He leans back into his bed when they release, pulling the blankets up further over him. He really was cold, even dressed in his hoodie and warm, fuzzy pajama pants that Kurt had gotten him a few weeks ago.

  
"You look like you haven't slept in weeks," Cooper jokes, pulling up one of the green waiting chairs and setting it beside his bed, so he could sit down.

  
"I feel like it," Blaine replies, rubbing a hand over his face. "What are you doing here?"

  
"There's a break on shooting, so I wanted to come visit you. I've just been waiting for an excuse to do it," Cooper chuckles, a smirk on his lips. Blaine smiles gently, before Cooper turned serious once again.

  
"So, I heard you hit the floor last week," Cooper sighs heavily, putting his elbows on his knees, his lips pursed.

  
"Yeah, I was testing the floors, you know making sure they were soft. Just so you know, they're not. Uh, I don't recommend doing that whatsoever," Blaine jokes, making Cooper laugh lightly.

  
"Yeah, yeah," He playfully rolls his eyes. "What'd the doctor say?"

  
"Not much. They kept me on an IV for a day and a half, then I was back on my chemo. He told me I need to drink more water, and he'll get me started on a medication to try and help the throwing up problem. So, I can add anther pills to those eight I have to take every morning," Blaine rolls his eyes.

  
"Hey, it could be worse. It's better you take the pills instead of the alternative," Cooper replies, his face turning serious. Blaine nods slowly, looking down at his hands in his lap, knowing Cooper was right. "I can imagine Kurt freaked out on you,"

  
"Yeah, I'm just surprised he didn't hit me," Blaine chuckles. "Damien and him have been pestering me on drinking more water-"

  
"So, why didn't you?"

  
"I felt like I was drinking enough. I was drink at least a couple bottles a day,"

  
"Even I know that's not enough. Those meds are attacking your kidneys, Man. You could have kidney failure if you don't drink enough," Cooper scolds. Blaine nods again.

  
"Can I not get yelled at by another person today?" Blaine snaps. Cooper hangs his head, his lips put into a firm line, but nods. "Thank you," Blaine breathes, flicking his tongue over his teeth. "Have you heard anything from Mom or anything about Dad?"

  
"I haven't talked to Mom since before I left," Cooper shrugs. "She wouldn't pick my calls, so I gave up on her,"

  
"Mine either," Blaine replies softly, sighing heavily.

  
"Hey, don't do that shit," Cooper warns, waving his hand in the air, and gesturing towards his brother. "If she doesn't want to be here, don't let it bother you. She's gone, who cares?" He shrugs it off.

  
"I kind of care. I want my mom back," Blaine admits, scoffing. Cooper sighs heavily.

  
"We lost our mom a long time ago. She's a flake. It doesn't matter because you have me and Kurt and the Hummel's, okay?"

  
"I don't have you, you're leaving again. I know you're not staying here forever," Blaine replies, shaking his head. Cooper hangs his head.

  
"No, I'm not staying here forever, but I am always just a phone call away. Say the word and I'm on the next plane to Ohio, alright?" Blaine looks up, but nods gently.

  
"What about Dad? Any news on him?" He says before they can get too emotion.

  
"Last I heard the bastard was put in rehab, finally. He really should be in fucking prison," He mumbles the last part under his breath, looking off to the side.

  
"I don't know why, but I feel guilty," Blaine admits sheepishly.

  
"What? Why? Are you insane?" Cooper snaps, his voice rising.

  
"Calm down, psycho," Blaine rolls his eyes. "As much as I hate him, he's still our dad and I can't help but feel guilty for everything,"

  
"Everything? Like him beating the shit out of you and me, threatening Kurt, doing-"

  
"How did you know about what happened to Kurt?" Blaine asks, pulling his head back.

  
"He called me right after it happened,"

  
"He told you before me?" His heart sinks at that, his shoulders slacking.

  
"Yeah, but only because he was worried you'd freak out, or worry about something you didn't need to worry about. He was thinking about you," Cooper replies, lying back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head, his elbows sticking out.

  
"I could have handled it. I'm not a child. I have cancer, I'm not mentally unstable," Blaine replies, his brow furrowing with anger.

  
"No, you couldn't have because you would have been eating at yourself from the inside out because you aren't allowed out of here, so don't do that. You wouldn't have been able to sleep at night if you knew. You would have blamed yourself because there's nothing you could have done. Kurt made the right call,"

  
Blaine sighs heavily in defeat, but doesn't say anything about it again, knowing Cooper was right.

  
"How long are you here for?" Blaine asks, bringing up his head to look up at his older brother.

  
"I don't know yet. Maybe only a week, maybe a couple. It depends,"

  
"Depends on what?"

  
"How long I want to stay," Cooper smirks, making Blaine smile as well. "Depends on how long I can handle you," Cooper adds teasingly, his smile growing.

  
"Yeah, like I'm the unbearable one," Blaine says sarcastically, playfully rolling his eyes.

  
"Hey, I'm a good ass brother. You should be bowing down to me like a king," Cooper replies, chuckling, and throwing his hands behind his head once more.

  
"Yeah, you're right. You are an ass brother. No, just an ass," Blaine teases, making Cooper reach his foot up to kick him in his leg playfully with his over-priced boot. Blaine laughs, leaning back on his bed and throwing his head back with laughter.

  
"I'm great," Cooper replies, crossing his arms over his chest.

  
"No, you are. A good brother," Blaine's smile fades turning serious for a few seconds. "You really have been amazing through all this, the best brother I could ask for," Blaine assure him, a smile on his face.

  
"Awe, now you're getting all sappy," Cooper coos teasingly, getting to his feet to wrap his brother in a tight, bone crushing hug.

  
"Alright, alright," Blaine chuckles, playfully rolling his eyes, and batting away at his arms, but Cooper refused to let go, only squeezing him tigher and rubbing at his bald head.  
"Awe, my little brother is so cute, loving on me," Cooper adds, pressing a wet, smacking kiss to the top of his head, making Blaine laugh and squirm in his arms, but Cooper wasn't letting go anytime soon. He would never let go. Even if Blaine wanted him to.

 

 

-0-

 

 

It was a great way to wake up. With soft kisses being pressed to his cheek, forehead, jaw, and head, and soft whispers in his ear.

  
"Baby, wake up," It was Kurt's soft voice, his thumb gently rubbing at the nape of his neck. Blaine smiles, but hides his face farther into his pillow, bringing his cover up closer to his face. Kurt giggles, and it's like music to Blaine's ears. "Come on, it's almost noon and it's your eighteenth birthday, wake up, Honey," Kurt tries again, pressing another soft kiss to his nose. Blaine's eyes flutter open, coming face to face with his boyfriend.

  
"Hi," He says groggily, one eye still shut, and a small, warming smile on his face.

  
"Hey," Kurt smiles, biting his bottom lip. They stare at each other for a few seconds before Kurt leans forward to capture Blaine's lips in a soft, but passionate closed mouth kiss.

"My dad is here," Kurt announces, still letting his thumb massage his neck.

  
"Wow, way to ruin the moment," Blaine chuckles lightly, his voice thick with sleep. Kurt smiles wider.

  
"He's still in the hall, so is Carole, Finn, and your brother," He adds, staring into his boyfriend's eyes carefully, like they held all the answers to any secret or problem in the world.

  
"Why? It's still early and it's Saturday, shouldn't Finn and Cooper be sleeping off a hangover or something?" Blaine jokes, rolling over on his back, and Kurt sits himself down on the edge of his bed.

  
"They're here because it's your eigteenth birthday, silly," Kurt smiles, a proud smirk on his face.

  
"Is it really?" Blaine asks, completely serious. He hadn't even realized it was here already. It doesn't feel like it should be February already and definitely not his eighteenth birthday.

  
"Yeah, you're legally an adult, who can do adult things like vote and pay taxes," Kurt teases. Blaine smiles, running a hand over his face, trying to rid it of it's sleepy look. He did have guests after all. "Can I let them in now? Cooper was a little excited this morning,"

  
"Yeah, you can let them in," Blaine smiles wider, sitting up in bed and rubbing at his eyes to get rid of any sleepies stuck in the corners. Kurt stands up and starts for the door, but stops himself, turning back around. He hurries back to Blaine, cupping his face in his hands and pressing his lips to his.

  
"Happy birthday, Sweetie," He says, rubbing their noses together. Blaine smiles at him, pecking his lips once more before going to get their family. Blaine stretches his arms over his head, letting out a loud yawn, before nestling back in his blankets.

  
As soon as he gets comfortable, their family is coming in, Cooper leading the pack. Finn's holding a small, circle cake for the six of them, and Burt is carrying a couple presents.  
"It's my baby brother's eighteenth birthday!" He cheers, attacking Blaine in a big bear hug, making Blaine laugh.

  
"Hi, Cooper," He chuckles, patting his back.

  
"It feels like just yesterday you were crawling on the floor, annoying the shit out of me. Now, you walk around and annoy the shit out of me," Cooper teases, releasing him to pat his shoulder, and rub the back of his head, much to Blaine's dismay. Blaine rolls his eyes.

  
"Yeah, yeah," he says, shaking his head. Carole was next, wrapping him in a hug and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

  
"Happy birthday, Honey," She cooed, rubbing his back carefully.

  
"Thank you, Carole," Blaine smiles, his heart warming. Yes, his mom wasn't here, but at least Carole was, slipping into her motherly role easily, which almost makes him forget about the lack of his mother's appearance. Burt was next, giving the boy a pat on the back.

  
"Eighteen, congrats, Son," He chuckles, one hand stuck deep inside his old, worn jean pocket.

  
"Thanks, Burt,"

  
"Wow, does being eighteen feel any different?" Finn asks, patting Blaine's back.

  
"No, I feel exactly the same as I did yesterday," Blaine replies, chuckling lightly. Finn's face falls, almost as if he was expecting different. Like he expected Blaine to feel reborn or something. Blaine leans back in bed, reaching for his phone as everyone was getting comfortable.

  
As expected, there were no missed calls or texts from his mom. Kurt watches him carefully, his heart sinking at the realization that Blaine was waiting for something from his mother. It was his birthday after all. Blaine sighs heavily, biting his bottom lip. He throws the covers off, swinging his legs over the side.

  
"Woah, where you going?" Cooper asks, his face falling with worry.

  
"The bathroom, calm down," Blaine chuckles, slowly getting to his feet, he doesn't waver, but he is slow on his way there even if it is a short distance.

  
Kurt plops himself down beside his brother on the pull out couch, and Cooper, Carole and Burt all pull up waiting chairs.

  
It doesn't take long for Blaine to come back out, but instead of getting back in bed, he curls up beside Kurt, laying his head on his shoulder and wrapping his arms around one of Kurt's. His boyfriend smiles, leaning over to press a soft kiss to his lips.

  
"Alright, no more of that shit, you're opening my present first," Cooper says, grabbing the box dressed messily in dark blue wrapping, and holding it out to his brother.

  
"No, no gifts. Let's just-"

  
"Blaine, open the damn thing!" Cooper playfully rolls his eyes, not even letting his brother continue. Blaine sighs heavily, but reluctantly takes the box from his brother's hands, that he definitely wrapped himself. Blaine takes his time unwrapping it, and Cooper even threatens to open it himself. He has to pull back a few pieces of tissue paper before he pulls out a dark grey t-shirt. He unfolds it and reads the red lettering on the front.

  
"With a body like this, who needs hair?" Blaine can't help but laugh at the text, reading it out loud. "Oh my God, Coop," Blaine laughs, shaking his head at his brother. He turns it around so everyone can see, and everyone already has smiles on their faces at the shirt. "You're ridiculous,"

  
He wants to say that no, the shirt was wrong. His body was disgusting and sick looking. He hated it. He was pale, thin as a rod, and looked sicker than a dog. There was nothing that made it look good at all, but he figures now isn't the best time to say that, so he keeps it to himself.

  
"I'm amazing," He defends, pulling his head back as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

  
"Do you really think I'm going to wear this in public?" Blaine asks, folding the shirt back up.

  
"Yes, and I expect to even have pictures!" Cooper replies, raising his eyebrows. Blaine playfully rolls his eyes. "I'm sure your boyfriend agrees with it,"

  
"Oh my God! Leave me out of this," Kurt replies, his cheeks turns a bright red.

  
"Ooh, I'm right!" Cooper chants.

  
"My dad is sitting right there, Cooper!" Kurt replies, sinking down in his seat. Blaine smiles at how flustered Kurt is and can't help but stare at how cute he is.

  
"Oh no, now you made Blaine look like a puppy in love. Nice going Cooper," Finn teases, sighing heavily. The room bursts out in laughter, and now both Kurt and Blaine had rosey red cheeks.

  
Blaine just reaches through the rest of the box, trying to turn attention away from that subject. He isn't surprised when he sees another t-shirt that's a periwinkle color.

  
"I'm scared to turn it around," Blaine chuckles, looking up at his brother cautiously

  
"You'll love it!" Cooper replies, a bright, excited smile on his face. Blaine scrunches his brow, but turns it around anyway, and can't help but smile.

  
It says "Fuck Cancer" and the C and K make a sideways ribbon. Blaine laughs, spinning it around for everyone to see. Everyone can't help but smile at the print.

  
"That's very fitting," Burt says, a bright, amused smile on his face.

  
"I love it, Coop. You were right," Blaine replies, getting to his feet so he can wrap his brother in a hug.

  
"I knew it!" Cooper cheers, wrapping him in a bone-crushing hug. Cooper holds him for a few more seconds before Blaine plops himself back down beside Kurt to open the rest of his gifts.

  
Burt and Carole had gotten him a few pairs of fluffy, plaid pants, and Finn had gotten him a few more movies, knowing he'll get bored with the ones he already has fairly quickly. Kurt just told Blaine to wait until later for him to give Blaine his present.

  
By the time they finished cake, it was around one and Damien was starting to make his rounds. It was almost time for his chemo treatment anyway.

  
"Hey guys, is there a party going on in here?" He teases, bringing his cart in and over to Blaine, who was still cuddled up to Kurt.

  
"Yeah, it's Blaine's birthday," Kurt replies, nudging his boyfriend slightly. Blaine blushes, rolling up his sleeve, for Damien to get to his arm.

  
"Well, Happy Birthday, then," Damien's face lights up, snapping on a pair of gloves.

  
"Thanks," Blaine sighs, holding his arm out for his nurse.

  
"How old?"

  
"Eighteen, finally," Blaine adds the last bit, more to himself. Damien chuckles, grabbing the needle to put in his arm after cleaning the area with a wet wipe. Damien sighs at the sight of his arm.

  
"Well, for your eighteenth birthday, I may be giving you eighteen pokes. We really need to get you a port, Blaine," Damien sighs, making his first poke, but being unsuccessful. Blaine opens his mouth to protest, but Damien stops him.

  
"I know, I know you don't want one, but it'll make everything easier for the both of us. It may become necessary soon," Damien replies. It only took three this today, which both of them were thankful for.

  
"Well, that was easier than expected," Damien smiles, removing his gloves.

  
"Damien, do you wanna stay for some cake?" Burt offers, nodding towards the half eaten treat sitting beside Blaine's bed on a table.

 

"As much as I'd love to Mr. Hummel, I have a few more patients to attend to," Damien replies. Burt nods his head.

  
"It'll be here later if you change your mind," Burt smiles at the man.

  
"I'll keep that in mind when one of my patients throws up on me," He chuckles. "Well, duty calls, I'll be back in a few hours, don't have too much cake, Blaine," Damien teases, winking his eye. Blaine chuckles, setting his arm back in his lap and laying his head on Kurt's shoulder.

 

 

It's not until late that night the Kurt and Blaine can be alone, not until around nine or ten. They spent the night eating cake, watching some of the movies that Finn had gotten him, TV shows none of them liked, and talked the night away, cracking jokes and teasing each other. It felt like home to Blaine. It made him forget that his mother never texted, called, or hell, e-mailed.

  
"Well, since we're alone. I guess I can give you your gifts now," Kurt smiles, getting to feets.

 

"Gifts? Plural?" Blaine's eyes widen. "Baby, I don't want anything but you," He pouts, putting his head on the back of the couch.

  
"I know, but I want to give you something. It's your eighteenth birthday and you can only have one of them and you're my loving, perfect boyfriend.

  
'Hardly perfect' Blaine thinks to himself, but decides not to say it out loud. Kurt comes back to his boyfriend with three boxes in hand, and a gift bag.

  
"Honey, this is too much. You already out did yourself with Christmas," Blaine pouts.

  
"I know, but I want to do this for you," Kurt shrugs, sitting back down beside him on the couch. Blaine sighs heavily, reaching for the second to biggest one, this one being wrapped in silver, just like the other ones. He lifts the lid, revealing an array of things.

  
First, he pulled out a package of Post-it notes. He looks over to his boyfriend confused.

  
"From now on, whenever you come in or out of this room, and whenever I come visit you, we're going to put something positive on them and hang them on the wall above your bed," Kurt replies, a bright smile on his face, as he leans his elbow on the top of the couch. "Like so," Kurt takes the purple ones, opening them up, and getting to his feet. He grabs one of the pens from Blaine's nightstand, jotting something down. Blaine watches him with a smile on his face. Kurt shows the quick lettering to his boyfriend.

  
'You're nothing short of perfect' it read in the dark, black ink. Blaine chuckles, shaking his head. Kurt rips off the first one, and hangs it above Blaine's bed, smoothing it out with his fingertips.

  
"Just like that," Kurt says, laying the rest of the notes on his nightstand along with his pens. "I did my research, it's one of the few things that won't rip paint off the walls," Kurt sighs, plopping himself back down beside his boyfriend.

  
"I'm pretty sure that you're the perfect one," Blaine says, leaning over to press a quick peck to his cheek. Kurt giggles, shaking his head.

  
"Keep going," he says nodding towards box. Blaine sighs, digging in for the next thing in the box. Next, he pulled out a few tea candles, electric ones of course, with three small holders to put them in. "I told you I was going to decorate your room and this is the start," He sighs, making Blaine smile and set them aside, picking out the next thing, a few mint scented candles, real ones this time.

  
"I know that your sense of smell is really sensitive because of chemo, but Damien said that mint usually goes well, so I thought you could use something that didn't smell of hospital," Kurt smiles. Blaine's smile grows.

  
"You are so considerate, Kurt,"

  
"For you? Always,"

  
The last thing in the box were a few small, painted rocks about the size of Blaine's fist, that you could tell Kurt put a lot of effort in. All three were flat, like skipping stones.  
One was red with bow-tie on it, saying "If your perserverance is half as impressive as your bow-tie collection, you'll be fine," The second was painted a light blue and read "You made it through a Rachel kiss, this should be a breeze," Blaine couldn't help but laugh, and blush a rosey red color at the memory of that drunken kiss they shared before he had gotten together with Kurt. He wasn't wrong. The last was painted white with a simple periwinkle stomach cancer ribbon on it.

  
"These are so cute, Kurt. Thank you," Blaine coos, reaching over to wrap him in a hug, pressing a light kiss to his lips.

  
"Anything for you," Kurt smiles a wide grin, pecking his lips once more. "Alright, open the bag next," He says, taking the package that's already been opened out of his way. Blaine sighs, opening the gift bag at his feet. He gasps at the sight of a new pillow.

  
"Oh my God, you have no idea how great this is. The hospital pillows here suck ass," Blaine chuckles, pulling out the fluffy, pillow out from the bag and setting it into his lap. Kurt chuckles.

  
"I know, Damien said that it would be a good gift for you," Kurt smiles in victory as Blaine rubs his fingers over, feeling the soft fabric of it, already excited to sleep on it.   
"God, I love you," Blaine chuckles, leaning over to press another kiss to his lips. Kurt chuckles into it, a firm smile on his face.

  
"Okay, this last one I may have to explain," Kurt says, as Blaine reaches for the small box that was almost as big as the painted rocks. Blaine looks to him confused, but opens it anyway. He smiles at what he sees. "Do you remember when you told me you had cancer?"

  
"How could I forget?" Blaine scoffs, a small smirk on his face, but not at the memory, at the gift.

  
"Well, I told you that one day we'll probably get bumper stickers with your ribbon on it and I got us both one," Kurt smiles. "Mine is already on my car, so you'll have to put yours there when you can drive again, but here it is," he shrugs.

  
"You are so perfect," Blaine smiles, lacing their fingers together so he can press a kiss to his knuckles.

  
"I know," Kurt shrugs, making Blaine laugh. "There's one more," He nods towards the large box, that was just about the size of the one Cooper has given him earlier in the day. Blaine sighs, opening up the box after setting the bumper sticker aside. As expected, he pulls out a black t-shirt. He flips it over so the writing is showing.

  
"Chemo! All the Cool Kids Are Doing It," He reads it aloud, laughing the entire time.

  
"Oh my God, Kurt," Blaine laughs, setting it down in his lap, so he can kiss his boyfriend. "I swear if you ever give me one more present, I'll have to beat you with it," He laughs, pecking his lips once more.

  
"Well, Valentine's Day is coming up, but I enjoy spoiling you," Kurt replies, their lips meeting again. Blaine chuckles, rubbing their noses together.

  
"Can we even legally do this anymore? You know since you're still a minor and I'm an adult," Blaine teases. Kurt rolls his eyes, smacking him on the chest.

  
"I'll be eighteen in September," He groans, making Blaine laugh.

  
"You know I love you," Blaine says, wrapping his arms around Kurt's shoulders, pulling him in for another kiss.

 

 

-0-

 

 

He hated homework. He's hated it for forever. It gives him headaches, and only having a computer and some textbooks makes it so much worse. At Dalton, he hated it, but then he went to McKinley and things were better, but now he has to do it all on a computer and he hates it all over again.

  
Blaine lets out a loud groan, tossing his pencil on his Spanish book.

  
"Need help?" Blaine snaps his head up, holding a hand to his heart from shock. Quinn was standing in his doorway with a bouquet of tiger lilies and a gift basket in the other hand. She didn't look scared or nervous to be here, but Blaine did. How long had she been standing there?

  
"What are you doing here?" Blaine asks, his brow furrowing. He was still upset with her after what she had done to him. Now, she decides to make an apperance, a month and a half later.

  
"I thought I'd come by and see you. It's been awhile," She replies, a small smile on her face, that Blaine doesn't return.

  
"There's a reason for that," Blaine mutters, looking back down at his textbook. Her smile falters.

  
"I brought you some things that might cheer you up," Quinn adds, hesitantly coming in through the doorway. She holds out her hands.

  
"I don't think that some flowers are going to cheer me up. I have cancer, not the flu," Blain remarks, his words having a bit of bite in them. She sighs heavily.

  
"Well, take them anyway," She replies.

  
"I can't have flowers. My immune system is weak, and flowers spread germs easily,"

  
"You still kiss Kurt,"

  
"I would kiss Kurt no matter what," Blaine replies, still not looking up at her. She drops her hands, tossing the bouquet into the trash bin.

  
"Well, I got you a gift basket anyway," She says, setting it down in front of him. He looks at the basket wrapped in a light blue, see through wrapping, with a silver bow on top to match. A white mug with a smiley face was holding some different assortments of hot chocolate, a few boxes of candy were beside it, and lastly there was a 'Get Well Soon' card, that made Blaine want to push the thing off the bed entirely.

  
People would send him those cards all the time, and while he appreciated the thought, it ticked him off because this wasn't him recovering from an appendix surgery or have a bad flu, no he had cancer. He couldn't just wait or sleep this one off.

  
"Not suppose to have sweets because of you know, the whole stomach cancer thing. Couldn't even have cake on my birthday," He bites. He knows he's being mean and rude, but he doesn't care. Her shoulders falls. "You would have known that if you bothered to visit me in the past five months.

  
"Look, I'm really trying here," Quinn defends.

  
"You've been here for ten minutes and you haven't even apologized yet," Blaine scoffs, shaking his head.

  
"Okay, fine. I'm sorry. I know I messed up,"

  
"You did more than that," Blaine replies, tossing his pencil down and shutting his book.

  
"God, why are you being so mean?" She scoffs, shaking her head.

  
"You're kidding, right? Quinn, you're the definition for mean," She goes silent, looking down at her tan ankle boots. "What are you doing here anyway? Are you trying to get back on glee club or something? Even if I do say that I forgive you, you'll never be able to convince Kurt to forgive you," Blaine scoffs, leaning back against his bed, crossing his arms over his chest. Quinn rolls her jaw, crossing her arms over her chest. "Do you even know what you did wrong? Or why is hurt to bad?"

  
"I told the school about your cancer. I get that, is wasn't my place to tell. I know that now,"

  
"No, that's not what made me upset. It was the fact that my life at school will never be same. I'll-"

  
"The bullies won't pick on you anymore! You should be thanking me!" She says, her voice rising.

  
"They won't pick on me because they pity me and that's one of the worse things to happen! I'd rather get slushied everyday of my life than having them look at me like I'm a sick, lost puppy," Blaine replies, his voice going quiet at the end. Quinn shifts.

  
"I really am sorry," She tries again. "I miss glee club. I would never admit it to anyone else, but I miss singing and my friends and I can't have it anymore," She shrugs.

  
"Oh, poor you, Quinn," He was getting frustrated, less at Quinn and more at his situation. "I haven't been able to go to glee club, or school for that matter in months and I miss it too. I don't get to just apologize and have everything be great again. I'm stuck here until I either kick the bucket or beat this shit," Blaine scoffs, falling back against his pillows.

  
"I messed up, I get that, why can't you just accept that people mess up sometimes?!"

  
"Because you do it all the time, Quinn. You hurt people all the damn time and you just don't realize it,"

  
"Everyone keeps saying that, and I'm sick of it!"

  
"Then change it. Stop throwing yourself a pity party because you're not the head cheerleader anymore and try again. Get over yourself and try again. Don't bring people down because you wanna be popular. Mr. Schuester told you the same thing when you went off on your skank phase. Kurt told you again when you did this. It just never stops, Quinn," Blaine falls back, feeling like he wasn't getting anywhere. "I don't forgive you, but I don't hate you because I don't wanna hate anyone if I could die tomorrow. I don't want you living with that guilt," Quinn nods, wiping at her eyes carefully.

  
"Now, you just have to convince Kurt, and trust me, that will be a much more difficult task. Kurt's not as forgiving as I am," Blaine sighs, raising one eyebrow higher than the other and tilting his head to the side. Quinn hangs her head.

  
"Okay," She says softly, nodding her head slowly. "For all that it's worth, I really am sorry," She adds quietly, looking up at the boy carefully. Blaine nods, playing with his thumbs.

  
"Bye, Quinn," He says, as Quinn heads for the doorway once more. Well, she was in for it if she thinks Kurt's going to forgive her. Ever.

 

 

  
He was already having a rough day. With Karosky and Azmio being jerks, his English teacher being an uneducated and unreasonable twat, and waking up way too late to put together an outfit that just came off the runway. So, when Quinn walked in during glee club, he was ready for an arugment.

  
"What the hell is she doing here?" Kurt snaps, getting from his seat and pointing at the ex-cheerleader.

  
"Kurt, please just-" Quinn starts.

  
"No, I don't give two shits about your pathetic apology," Kurt replies, crossing his arms over his chest.

  
"Kurt, language," Mr. Schuester scold lazily. "Quinn, what can we help you with?" He asks, a small, hopeful smile on his face.

  
"I want to apologize. I went and seen Blaine during my lunch hour and he said that he forgives me," She says softly, bouncing on his heels.

  
"What?" Kurt turns his head slowly towards the girl, his brow furrowed.

  
"He said he doesn't hate me and I just have to convince you," She replies, holding her head high as she talks.

  
"Why do I find that so hard to believe?" Finn asks, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

 

"No, I believe it. Blaine's too forgiving lately," Kurt mumbles, flicking his tongue over his teeth.

  
"I don't care how forgiving Hobbit is, I'm still pissed and that's coming from me. The bitchiest one of this group," Santana says, crossing her arms over her chest and sticking her hip out.

  
"As much as none of us want to forgive her, we should listen to what she has to say," Artie says, setting his hands in his lap after putting the brakes on his chair on.

  
"Thank you, Artie," Quinn says, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

  
"Don't thank me yet," Artie replies, eyeing her carefully. Her smile fades.

  
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I did. I understand how messed up it was, and I'm sorry to Blaine and to Kurt. I just wanna be back on glee club," She shrugs, curling in on herself slightly, when she sees everyone's judging stares.

  
"Do you know how hurt Blaine was when he found out?" Kurt asks, crossing his arms, and narrowing his gaze. Quinn doesn't say anything, so Kurt continues. "He said he was fine. He didn't cry when Finn and I first told him, but when it was just me and him, he bawled his eyes out. He cried because he was so hurt that someone he trusted and considered a friend betrayed him like that," He was getting emotional. He could feel the tears start to water his eyes. Quinn doesn't say anything. "Blaine's been dealing with a lot of shit. Not just cancer, no cancer hasn't been half of it, but his mom is a flake, his dad is an abusive drunk, one of his friends died from cancer, which has scared the hell out of him, stupid bullies won't leave us alone, and then you did what you did and it made it so much worse. He can't just return as a normal student, no, he'll forever be known as the kid who has cancer and you're the one to blame.

  
"You're just so inconsiderate. You never care about others. It's always you. You never care how far you bring someone down, even if it past rock bottom," Kurt explodes, tears now rushing down his cheeks. It takes a moment for him to continue. "And I can't do one thing about it. I'm just stuck holding him because I can't make his mom come around more often, or change who his dad is, or bring Miles back, or take the cancer way, and I sure as shit can't babysit people like you to make sure you don't make things even harder for him and make sure you don't do something as stupid as what you did. I just have to clean his cuts and bruises, and wipe his tears and I just have to hold him while he cries, worried today may be his last, which scares the hell out of me because he's my fucking life! He keeps saying that he's going to die and things just never look up for him. They always gets worse and I'm the one who has to stay positive, when I don't even believe myself. When I'm just as scared as he is," He stops, curling in on himself, and wiping his tears away from his cheeks. He looks around and notices everyone had gone silent, still staring at him. He shifts his weight from one foot to the other.  
"Sorry," He whispers, clearing out his throat, and looking down at his feet.

  
"You're alright," Mr. Schuester coughs, his brow furrowed with concern. Kurt nods, rubbing at the back of his neck. He looks up Quinn to see she has tears rushing down her cheeks, her lip trembling.

  
"I'm sorry, Quinn. I didn't mean to...explode like that," Kurt says softly, smacking his lips together. Quinn nods.

  
"No, you're right," She sighs heavily. "You're right," She repeats. Kurt nods again.

  
"If you want on glee club again, I don't care," He shrugs, swallowing thickly. The air was thick in the room. No one talked above a whisper and everything was very tense.   
"All in favor of letting Quinn back into New Directions?" Mr. Schuester looks around the room. Hesitantly, everyone raises their hands besides Sam, Puck, Finn, and Kurt. Quinn looks at Kurt strangely.

  
"I said I didn't care. I didn't say that I wanted you back on," He says carefully, noticing her stares.

  
"Well, majority rules. I guess you're back on, Quinn," Schuester gives the girl a smile.

  
"I'm going to-uh, go," Kurt says, taking in a heavy breath. No one says anything when he grabs his bag and starts out the door. Kurt turns around the corner, and as soon as he's out of sight, he stops, leaning against the lockers and crying. It doesn't take long for a pair of strong arms to wrap around his small frame, holding him tight to his chest. Kurt doesn't even bother to look up, knowing who it is, but he does grips at their jacket, crying into his varsity jacket, like he's done so many times.

  
"Hey, you're okay. Everything is gonna be fine," Finn comforts, rubbing Kurt's shoulder carefully.

  
"I just told everyone about his parents, things I was not suppose to say,"

  
"You didn't say that much, and it's Blaine. He won't get mad at you. It's not like you told the whole school. It was just the glee club. They won't say anything. They learned from Quinn," Finn comforts, still holding his brother close to his chest. Kurt nods, his tears starting to slow down a little.

  
"You alright?" Finn asks, pulling Kurt away to look into his eyes.

  
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Kurt assures him, wiping at his eyes gingerly, trying to get rid of his tears stains.

  
"Are you sure?"

  
"I'm fine Finn!" Kurt snaps without thinking. He looks up at his brother's hurt expression, clearly taken aback by his shouting. "I'm sorry, Finn. I didn't mean to yell at you. I just-" He stops, taking a deep breath. "I'm just overwhelmed," He says finally.

  
"No, I understand," Finn replies, relaxing slightly, but tension still clear in his stature.

  
"I'm going to go home, maybe go see Blaine. I'll-I'll see you later, Finn. Thank you," Kurt sniffles, wiping at his nose with his sleeve.

  
"Yeah, man. Of course. Anything for you," He nods, clearing his throat. Kurt nods, staring at his brother for a few more seconds before turning around and heading out the hallway door.

 

 

-0-

 

 

Pam walked through the hospital halls carefully, watching everything around her as if someone would pop out at her. Almost as if she wasn't suppose to be here.   
Everything feels so much more enclosed. Maybe it was because it was crowded, or maybe it was because she was going to see her son for the first time in two and a half months. She nervously gripped at her purse handle, holding it in both of her hands, her heels clicking as she walked through, hoping Blaine was in the same room as before.   
She walked past the nurses stations and saw the nurse that had threatened James watch her carefully, eyeing her as she walked through her son's hopsital room door, almost protectively.

  
He was sitting on the couch, earphones in and his head tipped back, his eyes shut and wearing a periwinkle shirt saying "Fuck Cancer". Pamela can't help the small smile that reached her lips. He really was a handsome young man. Maybe not so much now, but he was before all of this. She slowly comes in the rest of the way, pulling up a chair beside her son.

  
At the scraping sound the chair makes while being slid across the floor, Blaine opens his eyes, pulling out his earbuds quickly at the sight of his mother. His eyes go wide, alarmed.

  
"Mom," he breathes, sitting up instantly, and tossing his iPod aside. Pamela smile gently, sitting in the waiting chair.

  
"Hi, sweetie," She hiccups, tears starting in her eyes already. His smile fades.

  
"What are you doing here?" He asks, shifting in his seat uncomfortably. Her smile is gone.

  
"I wanted to visit you, of course,"

  
"Did you know my birthday was Saturday?" He asks, looking down at his hands. Pam's shoulders sag.

  
"Yeah, I did," She nods her head with guilt.

  
"You didn't come visit me, or call, or even text. I turned eighteen. I'm an adult," He sighs heavily.

  
"Are you really that old already? It feels like just yesterday you were-"

  
"Don't. Why didn't you call?" Blaine looks up into her eyes, narrowing his eyes.

  
"It slipped my mind," She says pathetically. "It was a busy day and I just wasn't thinking straight," She nods her head. Blaine slowly nods, looking back down at his hands in his lap.

  
"Oh," He says simply.

  
"I'm sorry, Honey," She reaches over, going to put her hand over his.

 

"Don't call me that," Blaine snaps, pushing her hand off his lap. She pulls back, clearly heartbroken by her son's actions. "Why are you here?"

  
"I told you. I just want to visit you. Catch up. It's been a long time,"

  
"That was your decision," Blaine replies, licking his lips. She looks down at her white, leather purse still sat in her lap. He wasn't wrong. In fact, he was one hundred percent right.

"Why now?" Blaine asks his voice quiet and filled with hurt.

  
"I was thinking about it for awhile, and with your dad gone now, I figured now would be a good time," She replies, a smile on her face. Blaine nods. "So, how have you been, Blaine?"

  
"I'm fine. Burt and Carole visit at least once or twice a week, they've been really great to me and I get to see Kurt everyday. They always make sure I'm not alone," It was a low blow. He knew that, but he didn't care if he was hurting her feelings any more. She left with no explanation. He had every right. She shifts at his words, taking in a deep breath.  
"That's good," She says, her smile fading.

  
"Yeah, and Cooper's back for a while now, so it's nice to see him too," He adds.

  
"Cooper's back?" She furrows her brow.

  
"He didn't tell you?" She shakes her head, hurt filling her eyes. "Yeah, he's been back since Thursday. I thought he was staying with you, but I guess not," Blaine sighs.

  
"No, I haven't heard from him at all," She adds softly, not meeting Blaine's eyes. Blaine nods slowly, not feeling an ounce bit guilty or bad for his mother. He knows he should, because after all, she was his mother, but he really didn't care about that fact. "Your dad is-"

  
"I don't give a shit about him," Blaine scoffs, biting his bottom lip.

  
"You should,"

  
"Why? After everything he's done to me? To us?" Blaine scoffs, shaking his head.

  
"He's provided for our family for a long time, Blaine. He-"

  
"I don't care! I would rather be living middle class or in poverty for my entire life instead of having him as a father. He beat the shit out of me a few weeks ago, remember that? He kicked the living crap out of me and I had to call Kurt because I didn't know what else to do. Where were you when that was happening? Gone? Running away? Where?"

  
"I was in my bedroom,"

  
"You knew then. You knew I was home and you knew he was going to hurt me, why? Why can't you just stick up for your kids for once and stop being scared of him all the time? God! Can't you just realize what a bad person he is and dump him or get rid of him? I don't understand!" Blaine shouts, tears starting in his eyes.

  
"Blaine, that's no way to talk to me," Pam says, trying to keep a brave face on.

  
"And this is no way to treat your son! Flaking on him! Ghosting! Whatever word you wanna use, you left me! What would you have done if I died? If something went wrong, or something happened? What would you have done?"

  
She remains silent, sinking back into her chair.

  
"That's what I thought, " He scoffs, shaking her head. "I don't have the flu, Mom. I have cancer. Stage fucking three B stomach cancer. I could die and you just wasted over two months of time you could have spent with me! I just don't understand what was going through your head when you left,"

 

"I was scared, Blaine. I was scared he was going to hurt me, or kill me, or worse," Pam shouts, using her hands freely as she talked.

  
"This is what I mean! You should have called the police or sent him to rehab earlier! It was going on for too long and I don't care if you love him or not. Your children should come first and if you can't do that and don't care about our safety, then please, just leave," He says, pointing towards the door. "I don't need that right now. I have enough going on in my life without you here," He replied, biting his bottom lip. He won't look up at her, knowing she was crying.

  
"Blaine, of course I care about you guys. You guys are my boys. I carried you and gave birth to you guys. You're a part of me, of course I love you," She hiccups.

  
"Then why weren't you here when we needed you? You ran away, scared," Blaine replies, his voice softening a considerable amount. They sit in silence for a few seconds, neither of them saying anything, Blaine still coming down from everything he has said.

  
"Don't worry about money, Blaine," She says and Blaine can't help but shake his head. It has nothing to do with money. Money doesn't matter to him one bit. When would she understand that? She stares at him for a few more seconds before she gets to her feet, crossing her arms over her chest. She starts for the door, stopping in the doorway. The woman turns on her heels to look back at her son, who was staring down at the floor, his brow furrowed. She digs through her purse, setting something down on his nightstand before leaving him alone. Again.

  
As soon as her heels click away, Blaine falls onto his side, curling in on himself and bawling his eyes out to the point his whole body ached even more than usual. He must have been making a lot of noise because soon footsteps were hurrying into his room and Damien was sitting beside him, wrapping the boy in his arms. Blaine clings to him like a baby sloth.

  
"Sh, sh, sh," Damien comforts, rubbing his shoulder, allowing him to stain his dark blue scrubs with tears.

  
"She left. She's gone. She left me, and hurt me," Blaine sobs, hiding his face into his chest.

  
"I know. Let it out, Blaine, let it all out," He soothes, resting his chin on the top of his head. Blaine's sob get louder, but are still muffled by Damien's clothing.

  
"She's really gone," He cries, as Damien starts to rock them back and forth. "Oh God. Both my parents are gone. I have no parents anymore," He cries out.

  
"It's okay, Blaine. Everything will be just fine," He tries again, holding the boy tighter. "Everything will work out just fine,"

  
"Oh God," He whimpers, burrowing his face farther into his nurse's chest.

  
"Hey, it's alright," Damien says, pressing a fatherly kiss to the top of his head. "You're gonna be just fine. You have plenty amazing people here for you. We won't go anywhere, okay?" Blaine just nods numbly, still sobbing loudly. "Let it out," He repeats, squeezing the boy tightly to his chest.

 

 

-0-

 

 

"A port?" Blaine's breathing picks up. "Why can't I just continue with the needle? I'm doing fine. I don't want a surgery. I'm fine," He starts to pick up his voice, it getting a little louder and faster.

  
"Blaine, breathe. It's not even really a surgery, just a quick procedure," Damien replies from beside Dr. Thomas.

  
"Finding a vein in your arm is getting difficult, and if you get the port, it'll be really simple. We put you under an anesthetic. It will help you relax and then we can insert the chest port. It'll only take a little over an hour, then you're done and chemo won't leave you with a million red dots on your arm. Hopefully, it will make chemo a little less uncomfortable," His doctor explains.

  
"No, I don't want that. I'm fine, I-"

  
"Blaine," Damien stops him. Blaine looks up from his lap, and up at his nurse, biting his lip. "This isn't a big deal. It may even help with your chemo," Damien cross his eyes over his chest.

  
"I just don't want another surgery. I don't want a thing sticking out from my chest. I don't want that," Blaine replies, running his hands over his sweatpants. Damien sighs heavily, kneeling in front of him.

  
"Blaine, this isn't a bad thing. You have nothing to worry about. Not a single thing. A lot people that go through chemo get ports, this isn't a big deal," Damien tries to comfort, his eyes filled with comfort and worry. Blaine nods his head slowly, looking down at his hands.

  
"I've never actually had to have surgery before. I'm kind of scared," Blaine admits, his voice quiet. Damien chuckles, lightly, making Blaine flush a deep red.

  
"Surgery isn't as scary as everyone thinks, and this one is quick. You'll be sore for a day, but then you'll feel just fine, okay?" Damien smiles. Blaine nods reluctantly.

  
"Is it settled then? Can I put you on the schedule for today?" Dr. Thomas says hopefully, a smile on his face.

  
"Yeah. You can," Blaine says finally, a hesitant smile on his face.

  
"Alright, then I can explain a bit more," Dr. Thomas smiles. "So, the port will sit right beside your collar bone. It's just a thin, hollow tube made of plastic. It gets put into a vein right in your chest. The actual port part is a small disc, like a couple inches in diameter, and we'll use it to connect your chemo IVs to. We may also use it for blood tests or transfusions if needed, but I doubt we will. It can stay for years, but you won't need it for that long. You'll only need for as long as you treatment is in effect. The only thing is that when you have chemo, you'll almost taste the medicine. It'll be stronger than usual, because it is closer to those senses, but if you chew gum or something, it usually helps with that,"

  
"How is it going to be put in?" Blaine asks, swallowing thickly. Damien moves so he's sitting beside him on the couch, putting his hand over his. Blaine smiles gently, his shoulders relaxing.

  
"What we'll do is we'll give a local anesthetic below your collar bone. We'll put two small cuts on your upper chest and we'll be able to put the tube into a large vein above your heart and you'll be done. Then we can take you out of the surgery room and you'll have a small bump there. The port will stay in as long as you need it. It'll be sore for a day or two. We'll keep giving you chemotherapy by tomorrow afternoon though because, frankly, I don't want to push your chemo dates back any further. We've had to do it one too many times, so we'll just have to push through it for now,"

  
"Okay," Blaine says softly. Damien squeezes his hand tightly, in a fatherly way, a small, supportive smile on his face.

  
"We'll just have to watch out for infection, so if it's sore for too long, or gets red, hot, or bruised, you need to tell us, because if the infection spreads, it could be fatal, okay? It goes right into your bloodstream,"

  
"Okay," Blaine repeats, shifting in his seat. "When will I have this done?"

  
"Hopefully tonight, maybe by dinner time," His doctor explains. "You have nothing to worry about, Blaine. You're in good hands," He promises, putting a hand on his knee. Blaine smiles sheepishly, nodding his head. The doctor gets to his feet, sliding the backless stool back to the corner of the room before leaving the nurse and patient alone.

  
"How you feeling?" Damien asks, putting a hand on his shoulder.

  
"Scared, but I'll be okay," Blaine nods his head, looking down at his hands.

  
"Yeah, you will," Damien smiles.

  
"Thank you, Damien. For everything,"

  
"Don't thank me, I wanna be here. You're like a son to me, Blaine," he chuckles. Damien's smile grows, and the nurse wraps him in a hug, squeezing him tight. Blaine chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck.

  
"I'm guessing you wanna call Kurt. So, I'll let you do that, alright?"

  
"Alright," Blaine nods his head, a small smile on his face. Damien gives him one last smile before getting to his feet, leaving him alone. As soon as he was gone, Blaine reached for his phone, dialing the familiar number.

  
Kurt was at glee practice right about now, but he knew he'd pick up as soon as he heard the Teenage Dream ringtone. He was right. After three rings, Kurt was picking up the phone.

  
"Blaine? What's wrong? Are you okay? You never call during glee," Kurt worries. Blaine chuckles lightly, and Kurt breathes a sigh.

  
"I think I'm alright. I-uh-I wanted to call because they're taking me in for surgery today. They-" Blaine adds, taking a heavy sigh.

  
"What? What do you mean? For the tumor? Isn't it too big? Blaine-"

  
"Kurt, no, not for the tumor. They're putting a port in,"

  
"A port? What's a port? Why are you getting this?" Kurt's voice is quickly filled with panic.

  
"Honey, calm down. It's just a quick procedure, but I really want you here for it," Blaine says shyly, rubbing at his arm.

  
"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. When are you going in? I have ten minutes left of practice,"

  
"I don't know yet, but finish-"

  
"I'm leaving now. I'll see you soon. I love you,"

  
"I love you too," Blaine chuckles, hearing the jostling of some keys on Kurt's end. With that, they hang up and Blaine is left alone again, waiting for either his doctor or for Kurt to come through the door.

 

 

Kurt comes through first, forty-five minutes later while Blaine is lying in bed, reading a book.

  
"Hey, how you feeling?" Kurt asks, a small smile on his face

  
"Nervous. I have never had surgery before, but Damien says it will be fine," Blaine breathes, putting his bookmark between his pages. Kurt gives him a small smile, removing his scarf and setting it on one of the waiting chairs. He comes across to Blaine's side sitting on the edge of his bed, pulling him in a for a kiss.   
"You'll be fine, Baby," Kurt assures him, rubbing their noses together.

  
"They set me for a time," Blaine says, putting his hand on his boyfriend's waist.

  
"When?"

  
Blaine checks the clock beside his bedside. "They're taking me in in about two hours," Blaine sighs heavily, squeezing Kurt's waist.

  
"You'll be alright," Kurt repeats, leaning over for another quick kiss.

 

As promised,two hours later, Blaine was dressed in a hospital gown, lying on his bed, waiting for Doctor Thomas to come in and collect him.

  
"Nervous much?" Damien chuckles, putting a hand on the boy's leg, eyeing the way he was tapping the edge of his bed. Blaine chuckles lightly.

  
"Sorry, I am nervous," Blaine admits sheepishly, crossing his arms over his chest and biting his bottom lip.

  
"You'll be fine," Damien promises, squeezing the boy's calf and winking at him. Blaine nods.

  
"We'll be waiting right here as soon as you get out," Kurt promises, pressing a kiss to his forehead. Blaine smiles, lacing their fingers together and squeezing. "We'll always be waiting for you," He adds, smiling at his boyfriend lovingly.

  
"Are you ready, Blaine?" Dr. Thomas knocks on the door frame, a hopeful and reassuring smile on his face.

  
"Ready as I'll ever be," Blaine replies, taking in a deep breath and squeezing Kurt's fingers almost painfully.

  
"You'll be fine," Kurt promises, squeezing his hand right back. The former Warbler nods his head again, sucking in a deep breath.

  
"Alright, let's get rolling," His doctor says, checking over Blaine's clipboard quickly.

  
"Give me a kiss," Blaine says, looking up to Kurt nervously. Kurt chuckles, as does Damien. The countertenor leans down though, placing a lingering kiss to his lips.

  
"Courage," Kurt winks, their noses brushing against each other.

  
"Courage," Blaine echoes. sucking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. Damien smiles, patting his leg.

  
"Ready?" His doctor asks again.

  
"Yup, yeah, I'm ready," Blaine says, squeezing Kurt's hand before letting his finger slip through. Damien sets his bed down all the way, and takes the brakes off of it, starting to push him out the door. He felt like he was forgetting something though. Something important.

  
"I love you!" Blaine calls, making Kurt laugh.

  
"I love you too," Kurt calls back, shaking his head at the boy. Blaine relaxes at that. That's what he was missing and yes, it was important.

 

Kurt spends the next hour and half calling his dad and updating him on what was going on and texting the New Direction's members and updating them as well through their group chat. He did sort of leave in a hurry, with only a little explantation.

  
He knew it was a minor surgery, but he was still nervous, but that was to be expected. He can only imagine what it will be like when the actual tumor is taken out. He uses the time to pace around the now empty feeling hospital room. Without the bed there, it felt like there was too much space. Given, a ton of decorating ideas.

  
It doesn't take long though for him to return though. Just over an hour and thirty five minutes, yes, Kurt was counting. He comes back awake, but a little dazed. He looks almost exactly the same, only a small bump resided in his chest, right below his collar bone, but above his heart. It was covered in a white bandage. Kurt breathes a sigh of relief as Dr. Thomas rolls him in, setting the brakes.

  
"Well, here he is. All shiny and new," He teases, going to the edge of the bed to write some things on his clipboard. Kurt chuckles, sitting down beside his boyfriend, slipping his hand through his. Blaine groans, his eyes slowly blinking open.

  
"Hey, sleepyhead, how you feeling?" Dr. Thomas asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

  
"Tired," Blaine replies, bringing his hand up to his chest, feeling for the bandaged area.

  
"We should be able to take those off tomorrow afternoon, alright? The incision should be completely healed by the end of the week, and you'll be good as new, okay? Just relax tonight," He advises, squeezing the boy's foot before leaving the couple alone and by themselves.

  
"Hi," Blaine smiles, letting out a loud yawn.

  
"Hey. Do you wanna go back to sleep?" Kurt asks, worriedly.

  
"No, I wanna spend it with you," Blaine pouts, but his eyes are already falling shut.

  
"How about I come back tomorrow morning, okay?" Kurt chuckles, getting to his feet.

  
"Noooo," Blaine whispers, his eyes almost totally shut.

  
"Yesss. I'll be back by tomorrow, nine A.M, alright? Sleep well, and I love you,"

  
"But I just got back," Blaine pouts, tugging on his hand.

  
"I know, but you need rest. I'll see you tomorrow," He leans down, placing a lingering kiss on his lips. Blaine nods his head, finally letting Kurt's hand go, so he can grab his jacket and scarf.

 

 

-0-

 

 

Just like he said, at eight fifty-nine nine the next morning, Kurt was coming through the doorway of Blaine's door. He did not expect to see him curled up in a ball though, looking as if he was shot.

  
"Blaine?" Kurt worries, removing his jacket and throwing it over the back of the waiting chair. Blaine groans in response. "Honey, what's wrong?" Kurt panics, his eyes going wide with worry. Blaine moans loudly in response, hiding his face in his pillow. Kurt carefully walks over, going over to Blaine's side, attempting to lower the blanket from his face, but Blaine tugs it back up.

 

"Honey, please talk to me, what's wrong?"

  
"It hurts," Blaine complains, his voice muffled.

  
"What hurts? What's wrong? Is it from the port? Talk to me," Kurt worries, trying to lower his blanket once more, this time Blaine allows it, showing the tears tracks on his cheeks and his now red eyes from crying. "Honey, talk to me," He begs, his brows knitted with concern.

  
"Everything hurts," Blaine groans, rolling over so his head is in Kurt's lap.

  
"What do you mean?"

  
"From chemo and cancer, I'm sore and achy and I feel like I'm going to throw up," Blaine sighs heavily, hiding his face in Kurt's lap, while Kurt pets his head carefully.

  
"Awe, baby," Kurt coos, pouting his lip. "Is that normal?"

  
"Yeah, Damien said it was bound to happen. I just hurt everywhere. I feel like I've been thrown out of a three story building," He groans, letting out a deep breath. "No, maybe four stories,"

  
"What hurts the most?" Kurt asks, clearly worried for his boyfriend.

  
"My stomach," Blaine groans.

  
"Roll over and I'll rub it," Kurt offers, nodding toward the side of the bed.

  
"Really?" Blaine gasps hopefully.

  
"Yes, really," Kurt chuckles. "Now roll over," He asks again, rubbing his shoulder briefly. Blaine's face lights up and he rolls over onto his side. Kurt gets up briefly, going over to Blaine's drawers.

  
"What are you doing?" Blaine asks, watching him go through the off-white drawers.

  
"Cooper left you a heating pad a few weeks ago, right before he left for New York because your stomach was hurting, remember?" Kurt says, pulling out the electric pad from the bottom left hand side.

  
"Oh my God. I forgot about that," Blaine gasps, rolling back over so he's facing the door. Kurt comes back over, plugging it in, and setting it on his back, while Kurt climbed in behind him. Blaine scoots back against his boyfriend. Kurt wraps one arm around his side and the other he uses to support his head. Blaine snuggles against his boyfriend, while he rubs soothing circles into his flat, almost sunken in tummy.

  
"This feel so good. I love you," Blaine chuckles, smiling widely. Kurt laughs, leaning down to press a kiss to the side of his head.

  
"I love you too," Kurt whispers in his ear, placing a quick kiss there.

  
"I'm so sick of this," Blaine sighs, his smile fading.

  
"Sick of what?"

  
"This, being sick. I hate it. I always feel sore anymore, then I have bad days like this and they suck ass," He groans, letting out a deep sigh, his eyes starting to fall shut.

  
"I know, but it will be worth it in the end," Kurt's smile is gone now too, watching his boyfriend carefully, looking for anymore signs of discomfort or hurt.

  
"We don't know that," Blaine replies, his face falling.

  
"How many times do I have to tell you this? Yes, we do know because you're amazing and you will beat anything coming your way, because you're you and you have courage," Kurt replies, pressing another quick kiss to the side of his head. Blaine nods along with him, not saying anything for a few seconds. They sit like that for a while.

  
"What if I don't, then what?" Blaine asks. Kurt stops his rubbing, waiting a few seconds to answer. It hurts to even think about that. Honestly, he doesn't think he could go on or fall in love again. He knows he's young, but Blaine is his everything. He's the only person who understands him and gets the way he is, and loves him for it.

  
"I don't wanna talk about that right now," Kurt replies, his movement along Blaine's stomach returning. Blaine nods his head. "Let's talk about something else," Kurt sniffled, trying not to cry.

  
"Okay," Blaine nods his head again, stopping Kurt's movements to press a quick kiss to his hand. "How is Nationals coming along?" Blaine asks.

  
"They're in Orlando this year," Kurt replies. "Rehearsals are fine, but Rachel is as annoying as ever," Kurt sighs, shaking his head. Blaine chuckles. "She of course thinks someone voted her leader or something, when all of us want to punch her,"

  
"Of course," He smiles, letting Kurt rub his stomach again.

  
"The only reason we tolerate her is because she really does have an amazing voice and without it, I don't think that we can win," He sighs. Blaine nods his head agreeing. No matter how annoying she is, she can sing.

  
"How is everyone handling Quinn being back?" Blaine asks.

  
"I still hate her, but I want to win Nationals this year, and we need her voice, so I'm putting up with her," Kurt says, rolling his eyes at the thought of her.

  
"She apologized at least,"

  
"I don't care if she's bringing you tickets to England, I will never fully trust her or understand why she did it," Kurt grumbles. "I just ignore her and try to get past her being there. Schuester doesn't even put me around her during rehearsal, or in any of the numbers. I think he's scared I may scalp her," Blaine laughs, shaking his head at his boyfriend. "Would you still love me if I scalp someone?" Kurt teases. "Hypothetically of course," He smiles.

  
"I would love you no matter what, even if you have scalped someone," He pauses. "Hypotherically of course," He teases, a wide grin on his face. Kurt smiles, leaning down to press a kiss to his awaiting lips. 

 

 


	19. Chapter Nineteen: Valentine's Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been awhile. I'm dealing with a lot of stuff right now, so I'm sorry I haven't been able to force myself to write, but I'm going to try a little harder at making that possible, so enjoy this one. Thank you for taking time out of your day to read this and don't forget to comment and leave a kudos if you haven't already.

"I got you something," Kurt announces, removing his coat and scarf, setting them on the end of Blaine's bed and setting his messenger bag down as well.

  
"Kurt, I thought we agreed no more presents. My birthday was last week and Valentine's Day isn't until Friday. I can't spoil you like I used to," Blaine sighs, furrowing his brow and staring up at his boyfriend from his spot on the couch. Watching everything on Netflix became his goal and right now, he was going through all the Marvel series and Ironfist was playing on the TV. He was curled up on his side, lying on the pullout couch with a blanket tucked tight under his chin, a pillow under his head, and his IV tube sticking out from his port in his chest that he was still getting used to.

  
"This is less of a present and more of a necessity," Kurt replies, searching through his messenger bag.

  
"I highly doubt that. Designer pants are a necessity to you. You really just like the spoil me," Blaine says, hiding his face further into his blanket.

  
"It is. I was doing some research a couple nights ago and they said this would help you," After searching for a few minutes, he pulls out a small, black pouch with a tie on it.

Blaine slowly leans up, using his elbow to prop him up.

  
"What is that?" Blaine asks, furrowing his brow with confusion.

  
"Open it and find out," Kurt chuckles, sitting himself down and putting Blaine's feet in his lap. Blaine sighs heavily, but takes the pouch from his hands.

  
"It looks like you're giving me ingredients to a potion," He teases, a small smirk on his face. Kurt smiles, playfully rolling his eyes.

  
"Just open it, you weirdo," He teases, rubbing his hand over the boy's blanket clad calf. Blaine chuckles, opening up the pouch and pulling out a black corded necklace with a square on the end. A leaf was engraved in it and it was a light green color.

  
"What is it?" Blaine asks, studying it carefully.

  
"It's a necklace. It smells of mint," At his words, Blaine puts it up to his nose, taking a big sniff. He was right, it smelled strongly of mint, one of Blaine's favorite scents.

  
"Okay, but what's it for?"

  
"I'm getting to that," Kurt replies. "Be patient," he chuckles, smacking his leg gently. "I know that when you get your port in and get chemo through it, you can really taste the drugs-"

  
"Yeah, it tastes horrible. I don't recommend it," Blaine says, his face full of disgust just thinking about the taste he had this morning when getting his meds hooked up. "We started a new one today too and it's one of the worst tasting ones yet,"

  
"I know, so they say if you smell something that has a strong scent, like mint, it can help with the taste, dilute it if you will," he explains, a small smile on his face.

  
"Awe, that's so sweet. Thank you," Blaine smiles, putting it around his neck, tucking it under his shirt and leaning over to plant a firm kiss to his lips. Kurt smiles. Blaine starts to pull back.

  
"One more," Kurt asks. Blaine chuckles, pecking his lips once more before pulling back to sit back against the couch. "I had to drive to at least six different weird, hippie stores to try and find that. They don't just sell these at Wal-Mart," Kurt chuckles, making Blaine smile.

  
"I love those stores. They're all so natural," Blaine shrugs, moving himself around so he can tuck himself in his boyfriend's lap.

  
"I usually do too, but not the ones that reek of smoke and smell as if they've smoked at least three joints ten minutes before," Kurt mumbles, naturally wrapping his arm around Blaine's shoulders and rubbing his back gently. Blaine laughs, shaking his head.

  
"Of course," He smiles, taking in a heavy breath. At the sound of Blaine's phone going off, Blaine groans into his boyfriend's lap. "I don't wanna get up," Blaine complains, sighing heavily.

  
"I'll get it," Kurt sighs, getting to his feet. Blaine smiles, falling back against the couch. Kurt reaches into his nightstand and his eyes go wide.

  
"Blaine, why do you have a large wade of cash in your drawer?" Kurt asks, pulling out his find, which was a large, green wade of cash, that could easily add up to four grand.

  
"Oh, that," Blaine mumbles. His phone call was long forgotten, but neither really cared. There was something else they needed to talk about.

  
"Yeah, that," Kurt throws the wade back in the drawer, pulls Blaine's phone out and starts back to his boyfriend. "I love how you're talking about this like it's just like finding an old Jenga piece under the couch,"

  
"You remember when my mom came to visit me?"

  
"Yeah, Damien had to call me. I was freaking out,"

  
"Well, my mom left that on the table," Blaine says, shifting in his seat and pulling his blanket farther.

  
"Why?" Kurt asks, pulling Blaine back into his lap.

  
"I think she was trying to make it up to me. I don't know," He shrugs, shaking his head. "It's stupid. I hate her for it," He adds, crossing his arms and hiding his face into Kurt's leg.

  
"Oh," Kurt says simply.

  
"Yeah. She thinks things can just be fixed with money and they can't. It takes a lot to fix all the things she's done or hasn't done," Blaine bites his bottom lip, thinking carefully.

"I don't think I'll ever forgive her. I told her I don't want her here anymore, ever,"

  
"I know,"

  
"I don't know where to go if I make it through this. Damien and Marcus offered a room to stay in, but I just don't know,"he shrugs, taking in a deep breath. Kurt nods.  
"We won't leave you, Blaine," Kurt responds, leaning down to press a soft kiss to the side of his head.

  
"I know," Blaine says quietly, rolling over so he's on his back and looking up at Kurt carefully. "I love you,"

  
"I love you too, Baby," Kurt smiles, running his thumb across the boy's cheek gently. Blaine smiles.

 

 

-0-

 

 

"It's V Day!" Kurt cheers happily, coming into Blaine's room with a pep in his step. Blaine chuckles from his spot on his bed, setting his book down beside him. Kurt was wearing a pair of sinfully tight, red pants, that Blaine just wishes he could rip off right then and there, a black, v-neck t-shirt, a pair of black Doc Martains, a red and white striped ascot, and a bright red heart pin on his chest. A bouquet of red and yellow roses were in one hand as well and a large gift bag in his other.

  
"These are for you," Kurt smiles, holding the bouquet out to his boyfriend, a large smile on his face.

 

"I love them, but I can't have-"

  
"Real flowers, I know. They aren't real. They're silk. It's a Valentine's Day tradition to bring your boyfriend roses, so I wanted to bring you some. This way they won't die," Kurt nods, handing them to Blaine. Blaine takes them, a bright, proud grin on his face as he sets them down on his nightstand.

  
"You are so thoughtful," Blaine sighs with happiness, tugging on Kurt's hand to plant a firm kiss to his lips.

  
"I know," Kurt teases, pecking his lips one more time. Blaine's smile fades quickly, putting a hand over his mouth. Kurt's face fills with worry as he watches Blaine scramble from bed and rush to his ensuite bathroom. Kurt follows him, his face falling. Blaine's knees smack painfully against the tile as he flips the lid to the toilet up so he can use it as a vomit bin.

  
As usual, Kurt slides in behind him, rubbing at his clammy skin. Blaine doesn't end up throwing up more than once, but he does heave for a good ten minutes until his stomach became sore.

  
"How romantic, right?" Blaine teases, flushing down his breakfast and falling against Kurt's chest.

  
"I thought the doctor put you on some anti-nausea meds?" Kurt asks, wrapping his arms tightly around Blaine's torso, his thumb running across his navel.

 

"He did, but they also put me on some new chemo meds and it's really fucking with me," Blaine replies, sighing heavily.

  
"Does Dr. Thomas know?"

  
"He told me before we started it that it would make me throw up some more," Blaine replies, his head on Kurt's shoulder. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin the moment,"

  
"You didn't ruin anything," Kurt comforts, pressing a soft kiss to the side of the boy's head. The tenor shuts his eyes, taking in a deep breath. "Do you wanna sit here for a few minutes?"

  
"No, let me just brush my teeth and I can give you your present," Blaine nods his head. Kurt gets up first, happily helping Blaine back to his feet. He waits patiently for his boyfriend to brush his teeth, but as soon as he's finished, he has his arms back around his neck, placing sweet kisses to his lips.

  
"Happy Valentine's Day, Baby," Kurt smiles, between kisses.

  
"Happy Valentine's Day, Kurtie," Blaine echos, squeezing Kurt's hips tightly. They kiss a couple more times before they finally pull apart. When Kurt turns around to leave the bathroom, Blaine pats his ass.

  
"Blaine Anderson!" Kurt fake scolds, turning around so he's facing the culprit.

  
"What? How do you expect me to resist your ass in those jeans? You know they're my favorite," Blaine laughs, wrapping his arms around Kurt's waist.

  
"Why do you think I wore them?" The countertenor teases, letting their foreheads press against each other's.

  
"You're such a tease," Blaine shakes his head, lowering his hands so they're cupping Kurt's ass. He hums with content. Kurt giggles, pecking his lips chastley.

  
"Okay, before you stick your hands down my pants, how about I give you my present, that I know you're going to love,"

  
"Honey, I don't want anything! You already out did yourself with my birthday and Christmas!"

  
"Well, this one will be your favorite," Kurt replies, pressing a quick kiss to Blaine's lips and patting his chest lightly. Blaine chuckles, allowing Kurt to tug on his hand and pull him back into the main room. He sits himself down on the couch after grabbing something from under his bed and after Kurt grabbed the gift bag he brought in with him.

  
"Alright, open mine first," Kurt cheers excitedly, snuggling up to his boyfriend, so his head is resting on his shoulder. Blaine sighs, a large smile on his face as he opens the bag up, revealing a large, fluffy blanket. At first, it was just pure white, but when he turned it around, his eyes went wide. Pictures of the two of them were covering it.

  
Like one of his favorites, the one with Blaine's head leaning on Kurt's shoulder. One from when they were at Dalton, another of when they first got together and were kissing. That one wasn't taken by the two of them, but by Rachel who saw the opportunity and took it. Many more were covering it.

  
"Awe, this is perfect," Blaine smiles, admiring all the different pictures of the two of them. He leans over placing a long kiss on his lips.

  
"I know you can never have enough blankets because you're always freezing, so this way you get me too," Kurt replies making Blaine chuckle.

  
"You are so sappy," He smiles, leaning over to press a kiss to his lips. "Although it's not as sappy as mine," He reaches over pulling out a small box. Kurt scrunches his brow, but opens it anyway. "Obviously, I don't have access to any stores, but I did make you something." His boyfriend looks to him strangely, but he opens up the box and pulls out a deck of cards, but there were holes in all of them in the top left hand corner and were tied together with a white string.

  
On the back of the first card there was some writing in sharpie.

  
"52 Reasons I Love You"

  
"Blaine, this is so cheesy,"

  
"The cheesiest," Blaine replies, shrugging his shoulders and laying his new blanket across their laps.

  
"Your eyes. Your voice is like an angel's. You're thoughtful. You're sassy. Every time I think you're going to zig, you zag," Kurt reads aloud, flipping through the deck of cards.   
"Oh, I love you too," Kurt coos, capturing his lips in another kiss.

  
"It's not much, but it's something,"

  
"Blaine, this is everything. I love it," Kurt smiles, setting it back in the box so he can wrap his boyfriend in for a tight hug. Blaine squeezes him hard, taking in a large breath to smell the smell that could only be described as Kurt.

 

  
This is exactly the way he wanted to spend his Valentine's Day. Curled up with Kurt in his arms and watching sappy romance movies, including Moulin Rouge.

  
"I love you," Blaine blurts, rubbing Kurt's shoulder with his thumb. Kurt smiles, turning his head to look up at his boyfriend. It takes a few minutes for him to say anything, just staring into his eyes, getting lost in its hazel color.

 

  
"I love you too," he says finally, a small smile on his face. Kurt nuzzled their noses together before sliding back into their original position.

  
They couldn't go out for Valentine's Day, but they did their best. They shut the lights off, leaving a few burning candles, mint of course, and the TV screen for light. A few silk rose petals were scattered around the room as well. They were curled up under a mound of blankets, including his new one, in Blaine's bed. It wasn't dinner at a five star resturaunt, but it was all they needed.

  
"It's our song," Kurt coos, snuggling further into his boyfriend's side as the famous, Moulin Rouge song played through the TV.

  
"I wanna dance," Blaine says nudging Kurt off of him. Kurt looks at him warily, knowing how crap Blaine felt earlier this morning, but lets him swing his feet over the edge and lift himself up and out of bed. Kurt follows shortly after him, meeting him at the end of the bed.

  
_"Never knew, I could feel like this,_   
_Like I've never seen the sky before_   
_Want to vanish inside your kiss_   
_Everyday I love you more and more_   
_Listen to my heart can you hear it sing_   
_Tellin' me to give you everything_   
_Seasons may change, winter to spring_   
_But I love you, until the end of time,"_

  
Blaine sings the lyrics softly, pulling Kurt close to his chest. Kurt smiles, happily wrapping one arm around his shoulder and lacing the fingers together with the other. They press their foreheads together, soaking in the feelings of each other and loving it.

  
_"Come what may, Come what may_   
_I will love you, until my dying day"_

  
His voice is so soft, that it's just above a whisper, sending shivers down Kurt's spine as he listens to him.

  
 _"Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place_  
 _Suddenly moves with such a perfect grace_  
 _Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a wa_ s _te_  
 _It all revolves around you,"_

  
Kurt joins him for this verse, opening his eyes just to see that Blaine was staring at him with a small smirk on his face. They dance in a small circle, barely moving around the room, but that wasn't the point.

  
_"And there's no mountain too high, no river too wide_   
_Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side_   
_Storm clouds may gather,_   
_And stars may collide,"_

  
Kurt releasing Blaine's hand to wrap his arms totally around Blaine's shoulders, letting his head rest on his shoulder, taking in the smell of him. It smells of hospital now, but there was still the smell of Blaine and it smelled of home.

  
It felt weird to do this. It seemed something so normal in the mess they've been living in for the past few months and they're taking advantage of every single second they have. Blaine whispers the last few lyrics straight into Kurt's ear, sending shivers down his spine and causing his heart to swell with love for the man in front of him.

  
_"Come what may, Come what may_   
_I will love you, until my dying day_   
_Oh come what may, come what may_   
_I will love you , I will love you_   
_Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place,"_

  
The songs ends, but they don't break apart, still making slow circles around the room.

  
"You're my world," Blaine whispers softly, pressing a soft, gentle kiss to the side of Kurt's head. Kurt doesn't say anything, but he does bury his face further into the crook of Blaine's neck, basking in the smell. Blaine's hands rub at Kurt's back and hips, his fingers pulling up his shirt a little, getting skin on skin contact.

 

The movie is playing again, getting back to the plot, but neither were paying very much attention. They were just too absorbed in each other.

  
"I don't know what I'd do with you, B," Kurt sighs with content, his lips lingering over his neck, sending a breath of warm air over the skin.

  
"Well, one of our Valentine's Days I spent serenading another boy, the second one I was blinded and now this one, we're in the hospital. I think we just have bad luck," Blaine replies, attempting to smile, but it was obvious he was a little upset.

  
"I know this isn't the Valentine's Day either of us wanted, but I don't want to spend it any other way," Kurt replies, caressing Blaine's cheek carefully. "Because you're here, alive, not well, but alive, and I'm here too, to spend it with you,"

  
"I've been wanting to take you out for a nice dinner together. Not to Breadstixs, but an actual nice restaurant,"

  
"I know," Kurt nods, cupping Blaine's face. "But I don't care about that because we're both here. We're here together watching movies and dancing around the room like nobody's watching. You're still here and that's all that matters," He shrugs, his eyes starting to well up with tears. Blaine nods his head, pushing forward to capture Kurt's lips in a slow kiss.

 

-0-

 

  
"Blaine?" Burt was surprised when he walked through the door of Blaine's room and was met with an empty room. The TV was still on and his bed was unmade, so he couldn't have gone far. "Blaine?" He calls again, his brow furrowed. Silence. He waits, ready to go get Damien and ask here he was, but retching was heard from the bathroom.

  
"Blaine?" Burt calls again, his hands inside his jean pockets. He hurries over to the bathroom door that was wide open, the light turned off. He knocks on the doorframe, but is only met with more retching. He takes a step in and the sight that greets him, sends his heart sinking.

  
The small looking boy was sitting, curled up beside the toilet in the corner. His eyes were closed, but he was shaking, but sweat was running down his forehead. His lips were chapped and his skin was almost green and the back of neck was red. The thing that really got him though were the red spots covering his skin in patches. His arms were wrapped tight around himself and his was scratching at his skin.

  
"Holy shit, Kid," Burt breaths, coming in the rest of the way, switching the light on. At his voice, Blaine snaps his eyes open, but instead of looking relieved, he just leans back against the wall, letting out a few inaudible noises. The mechanic kneels down beside the boy, putting a hand on his knee.

  
"It hurts so bad," Blaine groans out, still scratching at the welt on his elbow.

  
"Blaine, you need to go back to bed,"

  
"No, no," Blaine pouts, shaking his head, his eyes shut tight.

 

"Blaine, you'll feel better if you lay down, I promise," Burt replies, too scared to put a hand on his arm, so he doesn't. Blaine groans, his face full of pain.

  
"I don't wanna move. It all hurts," Blaine repeats, moving his hand to scratch at his forehead. Burt puts his hand over his, getting him to stop.

  
"Come on. I'll carry you," Burt offers, getting back to his feet. Before Blaine can protest, his puts one arm under back of Blaine's knees and the other behind his back. He was unexpectingly light, very light. Blaine groans and lays limp in his arms. "Shh," Burt comforts, brining him back into the main room, laying him down in his bed. Blaine rolls over onto his side and Burt tucks him in. Blaine curls up against the blankets, gripping them tightly in one hand and his other scratching at his skin again.

  
"Don't scratch. You'll make it worse," He knows what the rash is. It's hives. Kurt had it when he was eight and it was horrible. He cried and cried because he couldn't scratch because it hurt, but his skin just itched so bad. Blaine groans, but lets Burt brings his hand down and sets it into his lap. "I'm going to go get Damien, alright? You need to stay put," Burt pats the boy's leg and heads out of the room.

  
As expected, Damien was sitting at the nurse's station, doing some paperwork.

  
"Damien," Burt breathes, tapping on the desk.

  
"Mr. Hummel! How's it going? What are you doing here?" Damien asks, a small smile on his face.

  
"Here to see Blaine, but he's not doing well,"

  
"What's wrong?" The nurse's face falls flat with worry, instantly getting to his feet. He hurries into Blaine's room, going to his bedside. "Hey, Blaine," Damien says, looking the boy up and down. Blaine grumbled in response, scratching at his elbow, which was not only red, but bleeding a little. "Jesus," Damien puts his hand over Blaine's, but the boy pouts.

  
"It itches,"

  
"You're going to make it worse," Damien replies, patting his hand. He turns back around, pulling something out of the cupboard in the far right corner beside the bathroom. Burt sits himself down next to Blaine's hospital bed. His heart breaks when he realizes Blaine has tears rushing down his cheeks.

  
Before Damien comes back to the pair, he calls out the door.

  
"Molly, I need you to call Dr. Thomas,"

  
"He's with another patient, he-"

  
"No, you need to call him. We may have an emergency," Damien adds, not letting her finish. "Burt, I'm sorry, but I need you to leave for now. If he has a fever, his immune system is weaker than usual and simple germs could kill him," Damien says, coming up beside Blaine, putting a mask over his face. "You may want to call Kurt. I don't know where he is, but we both know that if he doesn't find out soon, there will be hell to pay," Damien says. Burt nods his head numbly, getting to his feet.

  
"Okay, I-I will," He says, watching as Damien started working on the singer and Burt stepped back a few paces before leaving the room totally. He didn't go far though because he didn't want to go too far from Blaine. He wanted to keep an eye on him. The mechanic wasn't ready to call Kurt though. He knew his reaction. He didn't know a lot, so there wasn't much he could tell him.

  
"Hello?" Kurt picked up by the second ring, knowing his father went to visit Blaine today.

  
"Hey, Kurt. How's it going?"

  
"Dad, don't do that, please. What happened?"

  
Burt sighs heavily, hanging his head. How is he suppose to say this?

  
"Blaine's sick," He says simply, stuffing one of his hands in his pockets.

  
"What? What do you mean? Where is he? Is he okay? Dad-"

  
"Kurt, calm down," Kurt was asking way too many questions and Burt couldn't answer them all at once.

  
"Then explain!" Kurt huffs.

  
"Alright, alright. I came in today and he was sitting by the toilet, puking his guts out, but it looks like he's broken out in hives. He's seems off, like his brain is mush. Damien thinks he could have a fever,"

  
"A fever? Damien said that could kill him. He-"

  
"Kurt, none of that. you need to calm down. Blaine's going to be fine, but I know as soon as we're allowed in there, he's going to want you. I don't know much, but as soon as I do know, I'll tell you, okay?"

  
"Okay. I'm on my way. Glee is almost done anyway. I'll leave early, I'll-"

  
"No, you're going have Finn drive you or someone else. You're in no condition to be driving. I don't want two of my sons in the hospital, okay?"

  
"Alright," He pauses. "Okay, I'll have Finn drive me," He adds.

  
"Okay, be careful. We'll be here waiting for you, alright?"

  
"Okay,"

  
"I love you and drive carefully,"

  
"Love you too," WIth that, Kurt hangs up and Burt's back to waiting for any news on the boy on the other side of the door.

  
Now, he needs to call Cooper. Here's another one if he doesn't know, he'll probably kill someone if no one tells him.

  
"Burt? What's up?"

  
"Hey, Cooper. You need to come down here. Blaine's not doing so hot,"

  
"What do you mean?" His voice falls flat. "He was fine yesterday. What happened?"

  
"I came in today and he was throwing up everything he had in his stomach and I think he has hives. He keeps scratching at his skin and it doesn't look good right now. He might have a fever,"

  
"Is he okay? Where is he?"

  
"He's getting looked over by a Damien and Dr. Thomas. He's in his room, but I would get down here just in case. We both know he'd want you here,"

  
"Right. Yeah. Of course, I'm on my way," Cooper says numbly, his voice thick with emotion.

  
"Be careful, Cooper okay?"

  
"Yeah, I will. Just please, don't let anything happen to him," The older Anderson adds. Burt sighs heavily.

  
"I'll try my best, okay?"

  
"Thank you, Burt,"

  
"Of course. You know you kids are like family. I'll see you down here in a few,"

  
"Okay," With that, The actor hangs up and Burt is left alone in the busy hallway once more.

  
"He took that easier than expected," Burt says to no one in particular, shoving his phone back into his pocket. The mechanic leans against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest while he waited.

  
He waits and waits for any news on him. He wasn't going to lie, he was a little panicked. He didn't want anything to happen to the boy. He was almost halfway through this thing and he knows what it would do to Kurt and to Cooper and to himself. He doesn't think he can go through that.

  
It's a half hour before Kurt makes it there, bursting through the door with panic written on his face. He expected to see Finn behind him, but instead it was Noah Puckerman, an equal amount of worry written on his face.

  
"Noah?"

  
"Hey, Mr. Hummel," The rebel says, sticking his hands in his pockets. "Finn offered to hold down the garage if I took Kurt to the hospital," He adds.

  
"Thank you," Burt says, putting a hand on his shoulder.

  
"Of course," He smirks, nodding his head.

  
"How is he? Have you heard anything?" Kurt asks, rubbing at his arm nervously, his arms crossed over his chest.

  
"No, but Dr. Thomas went in around fifteen minutes ago. He wasn't taken out on a gurney or into solitude, so I'm guessing he'll be alright. It shouldn't be long now. We just have to be patient,"

  
"Did you call Cooper?"

  
"Yeah, he said he's on his way here. He sounded a little too calm on the phone, so I'm preparing for the worst, alright? I don't know where he was coming from, so I don't know if I should be worrying about him or not," Kurt nods his head, wiping at his eyes gingerly.

  
"Hey, it'll be okay," Burt promises, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Kurt nods, leaning his head on his father's shoulder. "We'll hear from him soon. We can't let our thoughts get the best of us. That's when things get really bad, alright?"

  
"Okay," Kurt nods, agreeing. He takes a deep breath as Burt pats his shoulder. Noah gives him a small, reassuring smile.

  
It's weird to see Puck like this. When the boy comes over to hang out with Finn, he has a strong armor on. Making sex jokes, teasing Finn and Kurt, or you know, going to juvie, but seeing him support Kurt and worry for Blaine like everyone else is refreshing. Refreshing, but heartbreaking because then you know how bad it really is. Puck doesn't let anyone see him like this.

  
"Kurt! Burt!" At the sound of their names the two are turning around to see Cooper come down the hall, jogging towards them. "Who are you?" He looks to Puck.

  
"Noah Puckerman, Blaine's...friend. I helped your mom get James into rehab," Noah says, crossing his arms over his chest. Cooper nods at him, before turning back to the Hummel's. Burt's sure they've met before, but maybe Cooper was just too upset to think clearly.

  
"How is he?"

  
"We haven't heard anything yet," Burt says, looking guilty. He feels horrible that he called, but doesn't have any news to give the boys.

  
"Do you know why this happened? Nobody just breaks into hives,"

  
"No, we don't know anything," Burt replies, letting out a deep sigh. "We'll just have to wait a little while. I'm sure they'll come out soon enough,"

  
"Yeah, yeah okay," Cooper replies, putting his hands on his hips.

  
"Where were you?" Kurt asks, sniffling back his tears.

  
"I stopped a couple times because I really didn't feel like crashing the car. Sorry I'm a little late. I didn't realize I had to be here by a certain time," Cooper didn't mean to snap at the boy, but Kurt didn't take it personally. The actor is known to snap when he gets stressed, so he's not going to worry about it or get upset. The older Anderson goes off, starting to pace up and down the hallway. Burt hangs his head, squeezing Kurt's shoulder.

 

It's not another fifteen minutes before Dr. Thomas is coming out of Blaine's room, tossing his gloves away in a nearby trashcan.

  
"Dr. Thomas!" Cooper calls, hurrying to the man. At his name, the doctor turns around.

  
"Oh, hello! Mr. Anderson!"

  
"Please, call me Cooper," Cooper smiles gently. "What's going on with Blaine?"

  
"We think he had an allergic reaction to the Mitozytrex. It's a new drug we started on Monday. Since Blaine didn't have a large medicine history, we figured he'd be okay, but we were wrong. He doesn't have a fever, which is what we were worried about. We put him on an IV to help reduce the itchiness and the redness. Hopefully, this should reduce the nausea as well. He should be just fine. He'll have to put some cream on some of the sores, because he really did scratch pretty deeply, but other than that he's fine and he's stable. You guys can go see him if you want," He reports, a small smile on his face.

  
"Thank you, Doctor," Burt says, shaking the man's hand.

  
"Just doing my job, Mr. Hummel," He smirks, nodding his head. Burt returns the smile and before he can react, Kurt is already inside Blaine's room.

  
Blaine's lying on his side and Damien is beside him, just putting a few materials away. The boy is fast asleep, snuggling up to his blankets, the one Kurt got him for Valentine's Day on top. He's pale like usual, but there were red spots peppering his skin and a few were even bandaged. One was on his elbow, another was on the side of his neck, and other visible one was on his temple. An IV was going through his elbow.

  
"Awe, Baby," Kurt sighs, quickly taking a seat beside him and slipping his hand through Blaine's. Damien looks up from his work, a small, sympathetic smile on his face. He reaches over putting a comforting hand on Kurt's shoulder, squeezing tightly.

  
"He'll be alright," The nurse promises. Kurt nods his head, never tearing his eyes away from his boyfriend.

  
"Thank you, Damien," Kurt breathes, squeezing the former Warbler's hand.

  
"You know I love you guys," Damien replies, removing his hand and putting it over Blaine's calf, patting lightly before making his way out, brushing past the three in the doorway, but not before Burt and Cooper thanked him.

  
Cooper comes in the rest of the way, and pulls up a chair on his other side, putting a hand on his calf. Burt comes in as well, but doesn't pull up a chair, instead sitting himself down on the couch. Puckerman takes a seat beside him.

  
"He looks horrible," Puckerman says. He doesn't mean anything by it. It sounds just like something the rebel would say. It was blunt, but honest and true. Cooper nods his head.

  
"Yeah, he does," He agrees, not turning from his brother's apperance. Kurt squeezes Blaine's hand, pulling it so it's setting in his lap, but not before pressing a kiss to it. Blaine grumbles a little, squinting his eyes open.   
"Hey, Baby," Kurt chuckles, putting a small smile on his face. B

laine grumbles something unintelligible before reaching a hand up to scratch at his cheek.

  
"Honey, you're going to make it even worse, please don't," Kurt catches his hand holding it tightly.

  
"It itches though," Blaine complains, pouting his lip out. Kurt can't help but smile.

  
"I know, Sweetheart," Kurt sighs, pulling the boy's hand to his lips. "Damien gave you some cream, do you want to try that?"

  
"No," Blaine shakes his head, moving closer to the edge towards his boyfriend. He stops when he realizes he's tugging on his IV.

  
"Careful," Kurt replies, putting a hand over his elbow where the IV sat. Blaine groans, tugging on Kurt's hand.

  
"I just want you," He sighs tiredly, his eyes starting to fall shut.

  
"I don't think that's a very good idea," He looks up at everyone around the room, seeing their sympathetic faces, but just as Cooper has said before, he looked jealous.

  
"Why? Please," he groans again, still not realizing that behind him sat Burt, Cooper, and Puckerman.

  
"We're not alone. Just do back to sleep, okay?" Kurt says, kneeling down, so he can pet his head carefully.

  
"Oh," Blaine rolls over a little to peek over his shoulder, seeing everyone watching him carefully, but he just rolls back, facing Kurt once more, not caring that they were there.

"Lay with me. I just want you here," He begs again. Kurt chuckles.

  
"I'll be right here. When you wake up. Go to sleep, Honey," He smiles, going to place a kiss on his forehead, but decides against it due to the welt on his temple. Instead he pecks his nose, making Blaine smile.

  
"Well, we'll give you a little while. We'll go get some dinner, okay?" Burt offers, getting off the couch and bringing Puck up with him.

  
"I'll stay here. I'll be fine. I'll-" Cooper starts, but Burt stops him.

  
"Cooper, we'll come back in an hour or so. Okay?" Burt says, patting the actor's knee.

  
"No, it's fine. Cooper can stay. We-" Kurt starts, but again, Burt cut him off.

  
"No, if Blaine want you with him, we'll give him that, alright? Cooper, come on. I don't mean to be a pushover, but if it's what he wants, we'll do it," Burt replies. Cooper sighs heavily, but eventually gets up.

  
"We'll be back," Cooper says, patting Blaine's leg carefully. Blaine nods numbly.

  
"Bye guys," Blaine sighs, already tugging Kurt into his bed. Burt laughs, squeezing Blaine's toes and starts shoving Puck out the door.

  
"Later, Dude," Puckerman calls. Cooper goes out last, reluctantly of course. By the time the three are out the door, Kurt is pulled into Blaine's bed.

  
"This is so much better," Blaine smiles, as Kurt hooks his chin over Blaine's shoulder, pulling him tight to his chest. Kurt chuckles, kissing the back of his head. "I already feel a million times better now,"

  
"I'm sure you do, Honey," He smiles. Blaine reaches up to scratch at his forehead, but once again, Kurt stops him.

  
"Don't even think about it," He says smacking his hand away. Blaine grumbles, hiding his face into the pillow.

 

-0-

 

After a full days of rest, Blaine felt a thousand times better. His mind wasn't foggy, his head wasn't aching, and he felt alright. The redness was still there, but it was fading and it didn't itch half as bad as it did the day before. Whatever was in the IV was working and it was working well. Finally, he was sitting up and able to make clear sentences again.   
Blaine looks up at his boyfriend who was sitting on the pull out couch, invested in his phone. He looked so cute when he was concentrating. With a slight furrow in his brow and a pouting lip, he was almost irrestable. He was probably online shopping again because every once in awhile his eyebrows would raise with excitement before falling again, probably noticing the price of something.

  
"Find anything good?" Blaine asks, pulling his blanket up to his hips, a smirk on his face. Kurt looks up.

  
"Only very expensive things. I can probably find some things at a thrift shop," Kurt yawns, putting his phone down and tossing it aside. He stretches his arms over his head, before letting them fall in his lap.

  
"Come here," Blaine smiles, his eyes filled with love for the boy in front of him. Kurt smirks, getting to his feet so he can walk over and wrap his arms around Blaine's neck to kiss him. "I love you," Blaine pulls back a little brush a stray hair across his forehead. In a reply, Kurt just kisses him again.

  
A knock on the door is what breaks them. Kurt quick moving to one of the waiting chairs.

  
"Come in," Blaine calls, rubbing a hand over the back of his head. On cue, the door opens and Dr. Thomas is standing in the doorway.

  
"Morning, boys," He smiles first going over to Blaine's clipboard, looking it over. "How you feeling?" He asks, pulling up his usual backless stool and unwrapping his stesiscope from around his neck.

  
"Better," Blaine replies as Dr. Thomas puts ne end of the stethoscope to his chest and takes deep breathes when he's instructed.

  
"Your chest sounds better as well," His doctor says, putting his stethoscope back where it belong around his neck. He gets to his feet quickly, putting his two fingers on Blaine's pulse and watching the watch on his wrist. It's silent for a few seconds before he lets his hands fall in his lap. "Sounds good,"

  
The doctor starts to examine Blaine's redness and the few now unbandaged welts on his skin. "Those are looking good as well, Now, there's something else I want to talk to you about,"

  
Blaine's face falls, instantly thinking the worst.

  
"Don't worry, you can relax. It's not a horrible thing, it's just....new," He finishes with a heavy sigh. Blaine nods for him to continue. "I think we should start you on radiation,"

  
"Radiation? Isn't that for after I get my tumor out?"

  
"It can be, but since the tumor isn't moving right now, this may help get rid of it, make it smaller, so we can do surgery quicker. It's just another boost is all,"

  
"How often will he get it?" Kurt asks, his brow furrowed with concentration, only it wasn't as cute as it was before.

  
"I want to start off five days a week. It'll be done right after you finish your chemo or sometimes right before, depends on how late you get it. The radiation should help when it comes time to remove it. It's common with abdominal tumors and it's not unordinary,"

  
"Will I still have to get it after my surgery?"

  
"Most likely, no. Treatment should only last up to a half hour, so it won't waste your entire day, although, like everything else we've been doing, there are side effects,"

  
"Like what?"

  
"The obvious one is your going to get burns around your body. The radiation beams are strong and sometimes they scar your skin, but we'll give you a cream to relieve discomfort and hopefully the pain will go with it as well. Memory loss is also possible, it's a lot like chemo brain, but a little bit worse and more often. There's Fibrosis which is the replacement of normal tissue for scar tissue, but it's nothing that will leave giant marks on you. It'll all be manageable," He assures him. "Is this something you'll be willing to do?" Blaine looks to Kurt nervously, who was just waiting for the boy to answer.

  
"Yeah, I guess. If it'll help, of course," Blaine nods his head, licking his dry lips.

  
"Okay, today we'll need to take you in for a short MRI so we can look at the tumor and place everything in the right spot, but that won't hurt at all," He shrugs a small smile on his face.

  
"Okay, yeah," Blaine nods again, blinking a few times.

  
"Alright, do you have anymore questions for me?"

  
"Actually, yeah I do," Blaine says, stopping the doctor from leaving. He stares back at his patient expectingly, waiting for him to ask away. "I was talking to Marcus a little bit and he said there would be long term effects and I just wanna know what they are,"

  
"Oh, of course. So, obviously, you'll be left with a very small stomach, or we'll make a stomach of out your intestines and just get rid of completely. Your diet will have to adjust quite a bit before you obviously can't be eating a ton of junk food and a lot of carbonated or caffeinated drinks if it's so small because those things will expand your stomach at a high rate, but if you don't have a stomach, you can't let it expand too much."

  
Blaine watches him talk and slowly slips his hand through Kurt's, squeezing it tightly.

  
"Heart risks are always a worry after chemo, because you are being given high dosages of chemotherapy. That's something we'll have to watch when you start to get older. High blood pressure is also something we'll have to monitor later in life. Bone and soft tissue issues are common, so when you do beat this, you'll have to limit the alcohol you drink, you'll have to be active, more active than normal. A gym membership may be in your future," He stops to smile lightly. "You won't be able to smoke and again, your diet will be important. The chemo can also have effects on your brain, making it harder to learn and memorize things," His small smile disappears.

  
"There's something else though that might be important for you and Kurt. You guys seem like a good couple, a strong one. If you guys can make it through this, you guys will make it out alright. I don't know if you guys want kids, but if you do this one may effect that. One of the side effects is infertility,"

  
Kurt squeezes Blaine's hand tightly. They've never talked about kids, but they knew secretly that they both wanted some. They may just have to adjust how they get them.  
"It doesn't affect everyone, but it is common and it can put a damper on your plans. There are other way to have kids though."

 

"Is that all of them?" Blaine asks, adjusting the way he sat carefully.

  
"The ones I can think of, yes. If I can think of more, I'll let you know. Do you guys have any more questions?"

  
"No, we're good now. Thank you," Blaine sighs, managing a small, but unconvincing smile. Dr. Thomas returns it.

  
"Okay, I'll leave you two alone then," He gets to his feet and as promised, leaves the couple alone. It takes a few minutes for anyone to say anything. The couple just letting everything sink in. That was not a good way to start off the day.

  
"That's a lot," Kurt says finally, running a hand through his hair. Blaine nods in agreement.

  
"It is. Is it something you can deal with?" Blaine lets out an awkward cough.

  
"What? Why would you ask that? Of course it is," Kurt replies quickly, not having to give it a second thought. Blaine nods slowly.

 

"Okay," He says, taking in a deep breath.

  
"Don't ever ask those kind of questions," Kurt says, moving himself so he's sitting on the edge of Blaine's bed.

  
"I just like ot be reminded is all,"

  
"Well, you shouldn't have to be, because I love you and you know that. Everything else we'll figure out together, alright?" Kurt pauses, waiting for Blaine to nod. It takes a few seconds, but he does end up nodding. "Right now, we don't need to worry about any of that. We'll figure everything else out when we get there, alright?"

  
"Okay," Blaine repeats, squeezing Kurt's hand tightly.

  
"Good," Kurt says, leaning forward to capture Blaine's lips in a kiss, humming into it. "Right now, we can focus on getting through this first. You can help me pick out things I wish I could get from Marc Jacobs," Blaine grins, hanging his head.

  
"That sound wonderful,"

  
Kurt smiles, grabbing his phone from the couch before coming back beside his boyfriend to start looking at outfits.

 

Around fifteen minutes in and Blaine was going silent, his head filling with thoughts. Kurt noticed, but he was trying to ignore it, because he was scared about what he was thinking about. He didn't want to ask.

  
"What about this one?" Kurt asks, pointing out a white, zipped jacket. Kurt looks up at Blaine when he gets no reply. He sighs heavily, locking his phone.

  
"Baby, do you wanna talk?"

  
"What? No, I'm fine," Blaine shakes his head, his arm rubbing Kurt's shoulder naturally. Kurt shakes his head, licking his lips.

  
"Is it what the doctor said? Is that what's bothering you?"

  
"No, nothing's bothering me. I'm just a little tired," Blaine gives Kurt a small smile, squeezing Kurt closer to his chest. Kurt groans loudly.

  
"I know you, Blaine. I'm not stupid. I know something's wrong," Kurt pushes off Blaine's chest to look at him face to face. Blaine's face falls. "Is it what Dr. Thomas said?" He pauses taking a breath. "Sweetheart, we'll figure it out. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have just pushed everything aside. We can talk about it," He pushes Blaine's arms off himself so he can sit up and talk to him.

  
"I know you want kids. I-"

  
"No, it's not about that," Blaine shakes his head, shifting in his seat.

  
"Then talk to me, please. That's the point of being in a relationship is so that we can talk about things. Please, just tell me what's wrong," Kurt sighs, cupping Blaine's cheeks and pressing their foreheads together.

  
"If I don't-"

  
"Blaine-"

  
"No, let me finish," Blaine turns so he's facing him, taking Kurt's hands in his own. "If I don't end up making it out of this, I don't want my mom or dad or Cooper in charge of everything,"

  
"What do you mean by 'everything'?" Kurt furrows his brow, lacing their fingers together.

  
"I mean my things, my funeral, everything, because usually it's something the closest family members do and I don't want my parents or Cooper to be in charge of that. I mean all my things, my grandparent's money. It's the last thing I want,"

  
"Who said they would be the ones to take care of it?" Kurt asks, his voice going quiet, looking down at their conjoined hands.

  
"Well, unless I specify it, then they will. You know how they all are. Cooper will want to take it over, have no idea what he's doing and my mom will want to help, but unable to cope with it. My dad will go crazy again. I can't let that happen,"

  
"So, what do you want to do about it?" Kurt asks, his voice still soft and not looking up.

  
"I think I should write a will or something. Something to guarantee things won't get out of hand,"

  
"A will? Blaine, you're eighteen," Kurt scoffs, shaking his head. "That's ridiculous. You don't need a will, plus, you're not going to die so it'd be pointless to even write one, you-"  
"Kurt," Blaine breathes, putting a hand over the boy's mouth before he could work himself up. Kurt pouts, his shoulders slumping.

  
"I know I'm eighteen, but I'm a lot closer to death than most eighteen year olds. I don't mean that I'm going to die I'm just thinking about it just in case. It might be better if I have it in writing how I want things done if I do kick the bucket," He shrugs, finally removing his hand from Kurt's pouting lips.

  
"I hate talking about this," Kurt sighs, flicking his tongue over his teeth and looking down at their hands.

  
"I know, but we have to. It's realistic. It's almost as real as the cancer itself," He scoffs.

  
"I don't want it to be!" Kurt cries, finally lifting his head, with tears in his eyes. Blaine furrows his brow, his face falling. "I can't lose you, Blaine," He says, cupping the back of Blaine's neck.

  
"I'm not say you will. I'm just thinking about the possibility," Blaine replies, putting his hands over Kurt's wrists.

  
"How can you say that when you look like this, B?" Kurt says, a stray tear falling down his cheek and his voice thick with emotion. "If you had gotten a fever a few days ago, you would have died, Blaine. You have welts, mouth sores, a feeding tube, no hair, no meat on your bones, a port, a-"

  
"Okay, I get it. I look like shit," Blaine tries to chuckle, but Kurt wasn't having it and ended up slapping his arm.

  
"Don't. Don't do that, please. This is not funny, this is just real," Kurt says, wiping at his cheeks. "I'm worried about you. I'm so worried about you," He admits. "I don't know what I'd do if you left me,"

  
Blaine's face falls.

  
"I don't want to make you upset, but I think we need to talk about it anyway,"

  
"Okay, fine. Then I promise I won't let your mom or your dad or Cooper ruin your funeral, okay? I promise. Can we move on?"

  
"No, we can't. You said we wanted to talk, so I think we should talk," Blaine replies. Kurt rolls his eyes, wiping at them.

  
"Fine," He nods his head. "What else is there? I said I'd take care of it," He grumbles.

  
"Kurt, I don't wanna fight with you," Blaine frowns. Kurt avoids Blaine's eyes, but nods his head in agreement.

  
"I don't wanna fight either," He admits, letting out a deep breath. He silently falls into Blaine's arms, Blaine voluntarily wrapping his arms around his shoulders and pecking the top of his head.

  
"I'm just worried," He admits, biting his bottom lip.

  
"I know," Kurt says. "I am too," He squeezes his boyfriend tightly. "If you do, you know, I promise I'll make sure everything is just how you want it to be. I know you and I know what you'll want and I'll take care of you, I promise, no matter what happens."

  
Kurt lifts just his head so he can look Blaine in the eye, his brow furrowed.

  
"Okay," Blaine nods, leaning down to press a kiss to his lips.

  
"Hey boys!" Damien smiles, like normal, not bothering to knock on the door. Kurt slowly pulls back from Blaine, sitting himself back down in the waiting chair, wiping at his eyes.

  
"Hey, Damien," Blaine says, a small smile on his face. He reaches over for Kurt's than squeezing lightly.

  
"Woah, should I come back or something?" Damien asks, his brow furrowing with concern.

  
"No, you're fine," Kurt gives him a small smile.

  
"Are you guys sure? Is something wrong?"

  
"Yeah, we're fine. Just a long couple of days," Blaine assures him, managing a grin.

  
"Is there anything I can do? Anything I can help with?" Damien asks, snapping on a pair of gloves. Blaine shakes his head, pulling the collar of his shirt down a little to reveal his port. Kurt shifts in his chair, pulling his knees up to his chest. Damien uses an alcohol wipe, wiping down Blaine's skin, right where his port is.

  
"Did you want to schedule an appointment with Marcus?" The nurse asks, wanting to help in some way. Blaine shakes his head again, pulling the mint Kurt had gotten from him out from under his shirt. Damien just nods, pulling out his needle.

  
"Ready?" Blaine nods his head and his nurse inserts the needle into his skin. Blaine looks away like usual, hating the sight of it. "So, I heard Dr. Thomas came in and you're gonna start radiation?"

  
"Yeah, I'm nervous for it,"

  
"Don't be. You're in a tube for twenty minutes and then you're done for the day. It's way simpler than chemotherapy, it's just the burns that suck. You'll get through it though. We'll handle it when we get there. Alright, here it comes,"

  
Blaine cringes, sticking the mint in front of his nose and taking a large sniff. He waits a few seconds before finally putting it down.

  
"I hate that," Blaine grumbles.

  
"You get used to it," Damien smirked, patting his leg. "I'll be back in a few hours," Blaine nods his head watching Damien pull back out from the room, leaving them alone.   
"I don't wanna talk anymore," Kurt says, picking at his fingernails.

  
"I don't either," Blaine agrees. "I know we should, but I don't want to." He admits, shaking his head. Kurt nods in agreement, getting to his feet. He sits on the edge of Blaine's bed, leaning forward to press a kiss to his lips. Blaine smiles into the kiss, lacing their fingers together. Kurt slides into Blaine's arms, so his head is resting on Blaine's stomach. Blaine wraps his arm around Kurt's shoulders, squeezing tightly and pressing a quick kiss to the top of his head.

  
They don't talk anymore, but they don't watch movies like usual either. Instead, they just snuggle, enjoying each other. Not saying a word. They should talk. There was a lot to talk about, but neither wanted to, so they didn't.

 

-0-

 

Six months ago, Blaine's Friday afternoon would have been spent rehearsing with the New Directions, maybe going to Breadstixs with the guys and Kurt, but his favorite part, going back to Kurt's house to hang out with them and maybe watch a few movies until they inevitably fell asleep on the couch, entangled in each other. Then, Carole would wake them up and would ask if Blaine wanted to stay there for the night and Kurt and Blaine would beg Burt. Burt would eventually say yes and then they'd go back upstairs, with the door open, and fall asleep in Kurt's bed. They've done that a countless amount of times before he started treament, but he hasn't been to the Hummel's house since before Thanksgiving. It was his second home before he got here. Now the hospital is his first and only home.

  
Now, Blaine's Friday afternoons were spent in counseling with Marcus to make sure his mind didn't suffer too much from the cancer as well as the rest of his body. That's where he was now. In the gathering room where the usual support group would take place, but this time there was just Marcus there.

  
"How's it going, Blaine?" Marcus smiles, patting the boy's shoulder and coming over to the cancer patient. Like usual, his hair was combed back, but fluffy. Blaine was, of course, envious of his hair because he missed his hair so much, it was his pride and joy, but it was gone now and won't return for at least a few more months, if he was lucky. He couldn't even grow peach fuzz anymore.

  
Marcus was wearing a tan blazer with dark elbow patches. The therapist really did dress like a hipster, college professor. His dark jeans, brown penny loafers, colored socks, and five o'clock shadow, really topped the look off.

  
"Tired, nervous, but I'm alright," Blaine replies, taking a seat across from Marcus, where he always sat.

  
"Nervous? Why? What happened?" The therapist's face falls, taking his seat and crossing one leg over the other like usual, his face full of concern.

  
"My doctor wants me to start radiation and it's new and I'm just worried is all. Change is always hard for me,"

  
"That's normal, but trust me when I say this, radiation is easier to deal with than chemo. Chemo breaks your body down. Radiation will give you burns, bad burns, but there's creams and aloe for that. It'll be a piece of cake compared to what you're going through now," Marcus assures him, planting a small smile on his face. "I heard about your mom," Blaine hangs his head, shifting in his seat.

  
"Did Damien tell you?"

  
"He didn't expose you or anything. He just said that it didn't go so well," Marcus says. "And that he wanted us to talk about it. What happened?"

  
"My mom tried to apologize and I wouldn't let her. I told her she didn't care about us, that she should leave, and she did. I spent the next hour, a full hour, crying in Damien's arms," Blaine scoffs at the memory. "I was really, really hoping she wouldn't, that she would come back, maybe try again, but she didn't. I pushed her to leave and I know that, but I was hoping she would say 'No, I can't leave you again, and I'm so sorry that I was a horrible mother', but she didn't. It just proves how much she doesn't give a crap about us. Cooper or me," Tears were starting to gather in his eyes again. Marcus opens his mouth to say something, but Blaine continues on, wanting to get everything out before he lost all the courage.

  
"Then that got me thinking, maybe she's right. Maybe we're not worth giving a crap about. I mean I couldn't make either of my parents stick around, not one. My brother even left for awhile. I mean, if God is real, I must be really shit, because he hates me so much, that he gave me cancer at seventeen! Maybe this is just some plan to actually kill me, I mean make me suffer for eighteen years, then make it for nothing and leave the few people in my life that give a crap, hurting like Kurt, who also doesn't deserve that. He's been through enough already in his seventeen years too," He shakes his head. The singer bites his bottom lip.

  
"Maybe I should give it up. Maybe I should just save everyone the pain and save my the long time suffer and just stop it all now,"

  
"Blaine," Marcus breathes, sitting up straight in his chair. He wouldn't listen a second longer. Blaine looks down at his hands with guilt.

  
"I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry,"

  
"No, I'm glad you did. How long have you been feeling like this?" He squint his eyes, his face full of concern.

  
"Awhile, but it's nothing. It's nothing I can't handle. I mean I'm doing fine so far."

  
"Blaine, this is never nothing. Your feelings aren't invalid. Yeah, you're doing fine so far, but that doesn't mean things won't get worse before they get better and sometimes you just can't handle it getting worse and that's okay. That's what I'm here for," Marcus leans over, putting a reassuring hand on his knee. "Did this start when the cancer did?"

  
"No,"

  
"When then?"

  
"After the Sadie Hawkins dance,"

  
"Sadie Hawkins dance? What happened there?" Marcus pulls back.

  
"I went with a guy and we got the crap beat out of us," Blaine shakes his head, taking in a heavy sigh. He hated talking about this, with a passion. Everyone looked at him the same, with pity and he hated that. He gets it now too, ever since he's been diagnosed with cancer and it's horrible. "I'm over it though, I mean it happened, if it didn't I wouldn't have gone to Dalton and without Dalton, I wouldn't have met Kurt or any of my friends from the Warblers."

  
"Good, it's good you have a nice outlook on this. Do you still have those feelings?"

 

"Sometimes," He shrugs. "I just figure if cancer is going to kill me, I would rather have it be on my own terms, you know?"

  
"You aren't going to die, Blaine. I know that right now that's what it seems like. Like that's the only option, like things never get better, but I can promise they do. I promise that everything will get better. You just have to be patient. You have to remember that everything you feel is temporary, whether that temporary be four or five years, it's still only temporary and things will look up,"

  
"How do you know that?"

  
"Because after my dad's death when I was fourteen and after my car accident, I felt the same way. I felt the exact same way that you do now, but look at me now. I'm the therapist I have ever been. I don't think I could possibly be happier. I have Damien and Thomas and a great job. It's all I could ask for,"

  
"How did you do it?" Blaine asks, swallowing the lump in his throat, biting his lip anxiously.

  
"After my accident, I was on meds for awhile. It was only for a year or two, but it helped me so much. I went to counseling sessions and took my pills as perscribed and it helped me get through it. It gave me the push to get better," Marcus replies, eyeing Blaine carefully, but thoughtfully. Blaine thinks for a few seconds, looking back down at his sweaty hands.

  
"You still want me to go on medication?" He asks, finally looking up at his therapist.

  
"I'm not trying to push you to do something you don't want, but I think that it will help you get better. Dealing with cancer is hard, but dealing with depression, even if it is just from cancer, can be hard,"

  
"Depression? How did we escalate that?" Blaine pulls his head back.

  
"Blaine, you've had suicidal thoughts for years now, with no help. Can I ask you something?" At Blaine's nod he continues. "After your accident, did you ever think about hurting yourself?" Blaine tears his eyes away from his therapist, looking anywhere but at him. "Did you ever act on it?"

  
"No," Blaine shakes his head. "Well, once but I met Kurt after that and if I did it again, I would have to explain to this new kid, my new best friend, that I hurt myself. I would have scars up my arms or down my thighs, and I didn't want to have to tell Kurt that. He's told me before he looked up to me and what kind of hero hurts themselves?"

  
"Even heroes break sometimes, okay? Sometimes you need a little boost,"

  
"I'll try it," Blaine blurts, clearing out his throat.

  
"You will? You'll give it a real try?" Marcus asks, a hopeful smile on his face.

  
"Yeah, I will. I don't know where to start though or how it will go, but I will try it," He assures him.

  
"Good," Marcus smiles. "Good," he pulls back. "I'm glad," He gets to his feet, going over to his bag and pulling something out. "I think we should start you on Prozac. It's a basic medication and for some it works. If it doesn't, that's okay, we'll try again," He nods, writing something down on a blue post-it note and rips it off, handing it to him. Marcus comes back over, sitting back in his seat.

  
"Don't get discouraged if this one doesn't work,"

  
"Doesn't work?"

  
"Well, yeah. Medication isn't magic, it doesn't just start to work. It's different for everyone. For me it took at least a month to get what I needed," Marcus replies, as Blaine studies the perscription carefully.

  
"A month? Isn't that a little excessive?"

  
"No, that's actually a small amount of time. By the fourth try, it seemed to work and it's what got me through everything, or helped me get through everything,"

  
"Oh," he says simply, taking a deep breath.

  
"This isn't permanent though. Don't rely on it. It's just until you get better, mentally and physically. It's just until you can sort everything out so these feelings don't get too overwhelming,"

  
"Okay," Blaine nods again, looking down at his hands. Marcus lets out a heavy sigh before continuing.

 

"But, you have to promise me something,"

  
"Okay," He looks up at his therapist wearily.

  
"If these thoughts get worse, you feel sick, or anything like that, you have to tell me, Dr. Thomas, or Damien, alright? We can help you, but you have to let us help you,"

  
"Okay, I promise," He nods his head, his rubbing his sweaty hand over his sweat pants covered leg.

  
"Good, because I care a lot about you, and I really don't want you to act on these thoughts, okay? I just want you to get better and with the medication and the counseling sessions, I think we can figure this out, together," Marcus reaches over, putting a reassuring hand on his knee, squeezing reassuringly.

  
"Okay," Blaine nods in agreement, managing a small smile. "Can we cut this one short? I'm suppose to meet up with Kurt,"

  
"Of course you are. It is Friday and I have another meeting after this," Marcus chuckles. "Yeah, that's fine. Just remember to get your prescription filled, okay?" His smile fades slightly.

  
"Yeah, of course," He nods his head and gets to his feet. Marcus wraps him in a tight hug, patting his back carefully before finally letting him go.

  
"Thank you, Marcus. Even if I say I don't need something, you know what's best for me, so thank you,"

  
"Don't thank me, Blaine. It's not just my job, but I want to. You're like a son to me, Blaine. I can't just sit back and watch you fall. I have to help hold you up too," Marcus smirks. Blaine blushes slightly, giving him a smile.

  
"That means everything to me. I've known you for a few months and you've been more of a father than my own father has been in the past eighteen years," Blaine says. Marcus just smirks, his hands deep inside his pockets. They watch each other for a few seconds before Marcus says something else.

  
"Have fun with Kurt," He smiles, patting the boy's shoulder. Blaine's cheeks turn a light pink but he makes his way out of the gathering room and back towards his own room, but not before dropping off his prescription first.

 

 


	20. Chapter Twenty: Things Will Never Get Better

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for updating so late. My depression was kicking my ass and my computer deleted all of my It's not Just a Stomach Ache files and I could not get them back. I had half of this chapter done and I had to rewrite it, but I did get a good outline and I'm looking at thirty-two chapters in all, so this will be fun. Thanks for sticking with me through this, and I'll be honest, I'm worried some of you guys aren't enjoying this anymore, which worries me. Am I doing something wrong? Is there something you want to see more of? Please tell me! Thank you for reading this and enjoy this installment! Don't forget to kudos if you haven't already and comment, giving me your opinions, good or bad!

Horrible was an understatement for how he felt. Horrible couldn't even begin to cover how bad he really felt. Blaine couldn't tell if it was because of the chemo, stress, his new depression medication, or maybe it was just cancer, but he felt like curling in a ball, crying and falling asleep for a few weeks. He had support group though and he couldn't just bail on it. He had to go, knowing he needed all the support he could get, even if he was a little reluctant.

  
So, he threw on a pair of clean sweatpants, and an old, worn hoodie, not really caring if it hadn't been washed in a couple days. He didn't have the energy to care, which wasn't very unsual anymore, ever since he started his depression medication. Things just seemed very little anymore, like nothing mattered. He hated it, but Marcus said it could be a few weeks before his body got used to the medication and it actually worked, so he was giving it a shot.

  
The singer sits on his bed, ready to just fall over and take a nap. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't, so, instead, he put on his worn Tom's and grabbed his phone from the nightstand. He really didn't wanna do this.

  
He takes a heavy sigh, running his hands over his face, trying to get rid of the tiredness in his features, but he knew it didn't do anything. He lets out a deep breath through his mouth and got to his feet, shoving his phone in his pocket and heading out the door and to the gathering room.

  
On his way there, he doesn't forget to wave to Molly, putting on a fake smile to get him through the day. That was never new. That was something he's been doing for years now and it wasn't just because of cancer. It was because of everything else in his life.

  
Molly waves back, giving the boy a smile and blowing him a kiss that makes Blaine hang his head down with laughter and of course, catch the kiss, making sure to exaggerate it.

  
That was a good thing about having cancer. The people he's met have been amazing. Dr. Thomas, Molly, and of course, Marcus and Damien. They've been nothing but great to him, making this whole thing a little bit easier. It's reassuring to know that they're in his corner, ready to defend him no matter what happens. Damien and Marcus have already proven that fact a countless amount of times.

  
The walk to the gathering room seemed longer than normal. Maybe it was because his feet felt slow, or maybe it was because his head felt heavy and his legs felt shorter than normal. When he gets there though, almost everyone is there, besides Marcus, which is also not a surprise.

  
Everyone is in their normal seats, Sadie on the end, but she looks different. She looks weak and sicker than just last week. Her eyes are sunken in, she's forgotten her bobbed wig and was sporting the bald look. She either forgot it, or she just didn't care anymore. Her skin was paler than normal, making her seem smaller, or maybe that was because her weight had dropped over the past few months, but mostly since she's known she isn't going to make it through the cancer. The girl looks at least two years younger since Blaine's met her and it send his heart sinking to the pit of his stomach.

  
He couldn't imagine being in her shoes, at least he had a tiny sliver of hope at this point. She had nothing to latch onto.

  
Next to her was Lincoln, who looked exacty the same as last week, still absorbed in his phone. Next was Josie who looked happier and bubblier than normal. A bright smile was on her face and she looked like she had gained some color in the past week. Blaine knew these past two weeks have been kind of rough for her, having a couple unexpected surgeries, minor ones as far as he knows, but still surgeries, which really takes it out of you. No matter how minor it is.

  
Leo is beside her, their finger laces together. He looked a little solemn though, like something terrible has happened, which worries Blaine's mind and heart. Lastly, the new kid, Aaron is there, his knee bouncing like a jackhammer and playing with his thumbs, also not new.

  
Blaine takes his seat beside Sadie and nudges her. She gives him a smile that he returns. The singer opens his mouth to say something, but Marcus was soon coming in, looking very hurried. He had a stack of paper under his arm, his bag slung over his shoulder and a coffee in hand that looked like it was about to spill all over the floor.

  
"Sorry, Thomas refused to leave for daycare today, like normal," He chuckles, dropping all of his things on the table in back.

  
"Hey guys! How is everyone?" He asks, a bright smile on his face. He grabs a chair and sits in front of them, his coffee in hand. Everyone mumbles their answers, clearly just as tired as Blaine was. "Wow, excitable today. Well, how'd everyone's week go?" He asks, taking a long drink from his cup. Again, everyone mumbles their answers, just like normal. Marcus chuckles, hanging his head.

  
"We all know how this starts, so why don't we start. One positive?"

  
"I'll go, like always," Lincoln sighs, shaking his head playfully like it was a big deal. "I haven't thrown up this week," he says finally, making everyone laugh.

  
"I told you that medication would work," Marcus shrugs, a small smile on his face. Lincoln returns and looks around for someone else to go.

  
"I'm not dead yet," Sadie scoffs. Everyone's smile disappears.

  
"Good, none of us want you to be," Marcus says, reaching over to put a reassuring hand on her knee. Sadie puts her hand over his.

  
"I still have at least eight weeks before it happens or I get worse. Hopefully, because if it gets worse than this, I'd rather it just be over," She says, letting out a small laugh, but her smile quickly fades. No one says anything for a few minutes, just letting that sink in.

  
He can only imagine what Sadie and her family is going through. Having a death date, three months is not a long time and it's terrifying. Blaine's just lucky that he doesn't have that, yet. Hopefully, he won't get one, but he was sick of this thinking positive crap, because it obviously wasn't doing anything to help. He still had cancer and he was only getting worse.

  
Marcus is the one who breaks the silence, wiping tears from his eyes, trying to get rid of his emotion, but it wasn't working. The tear tracks and redness were still there, staining his cheeks.

  
"Well, enough of that for now. We just have to stay positive," Oh, there it was. The staying positive crap. "Who's next?"

  
"I'll go," Leo says, a small smirk on his face. "NYADA results should be coming in within the next couple weeks, for next year in the Fall," He announces.

  
"That's great!" Marcus encourages.

  
"My doctor even said that by then, I should be able to taken them up on it. So, I'm just hoping I make it. I wanna go so badly. I wanna be able to have the college experience and I want it at NYADA in New York," He says. Marcus nods, but Sadie shifts in her seat and Blaine's face falls.

  
"That's awesome. Let me know when your letter comes, okay?"

  
"Of course," He nods, enthusiastically.

  
"Aaron?" Marcus nods towards the boy.

  
"My dad told me he loves me," Aaron smiles, looking down at his hands. "He's never told me that in my life. He's kind of a hard ass, so things like that are rare. So rare that they don't happen," He chuckles, making Marcus smile.

  
"Maybe he's coming around. I think he's just scared," Marcus says, giving the boy a small smile. Aaron nods in agreement, chuckling a little.

  
"I hope so," He says finally, making Marcus's smile grow.

  
"Well, Josie, that leaves you," The therapist gives her a knowing smile, which makes Blaine's eyebrows furrow with confusion. What was going on? Josie's grin widens and she gives Leo's hand one last squeeze before getting to his feet. She smoothes down her sun dress with her fingertips and looks around the room to everyone, making eye contact with every single person.

  
"I talked to my doctor yesterday, and he used the word remisson to define me. I'm officially in remission," She grins. Leo was sat next to her, looking a little solemn, knowing that this would be one of the last few times he'd get to see her. Of course there's long distance, but it's not the same.

  
"I'm so proud of you!" Marcus says getting to his feet so he can wrap her in a hug. The room erupts into smiles and giggles, but Blaine goes numb.

  
She's in remission? How? She's only been here for a little under eight months, how does this happen?

  
"Congratulations, Josie," Lincoln says, wrapping the girl in a tight hug, swing from side to side, making Josie giggle.

  
"Thank you! So, yes. This is my last meeting, but I promise it's the best thing for me," She goes on, but Blaine wasn't paying attention.

  
Remisson? She was just having surgery this past week. How come she's in remisson? Blaine goes still, not able to process everything. They were still going on with the meeting, but he just couldn't focus anymore.

  
Why can't this be him? Josie never got incredibly sick, never felt as horrible as Blaine feels. She was struggling the past few weeks, how is she all the sudden better? Almost like she hasn't been through cancer at all? She's been here for eight months and she's already leaving this is her last support group and after this she's gone, because she's almost completely healthy. She has no more cancer.

  
Why can't he worry about NYADA letters and moving to New York like Leo? Or why can't he worry about packing his room? Will that ever be him? He's not getting any better and he's only a few months behind her.

  
Maybe he'll just get stuck here, maybe he'll end up like Sadie or Miles. He knows he's jumping to conclusions, but he's so jealous and he's not a jealous person. All he wants is to be in her position, packing up his room, hand in hand with his boyfriend, and it's all smiles and giggles, but no, it's not him. And there's a possibility it won't be him.

  
He's feeling just as bad as Sadie looks. He's the one feeling liks things will never get better and like he just wants to give up. Why can't that be him? Why can't he be like her?  
He rubs his hands over his sweat pants covering thighs and takes a deep breath, clearing out his throat.

  
"Blaine? Did you wanna talk about anything?" Marcus asks, worry covering his face.

  
"What? Nothing. No, I'm fine," He shakes his head, wiping at the tears he didn't know were starting down his cheeks.

  
"Are you okay?" He asks, his face falling with concern.

  
"I'm fine, but can we go now, then?" Blaine asks, his breathing picking up. Marcus hesitates, but nods. As soon as he starts to nod, Blaine is on his feet and rushing out of the room.

  
He's hurrying through the halls, brushing past people, but he doesn't care enough to say excuse me. He's trying to get back to his room in time to get to Kurt. He's trying to stop his tears from coming down his cheeks, but he was failing miserably. There was no point anymore.

  
As expected, Kurt is sitting on the pull out couch scrolling through his phone. Blaine's shoulders relax.

  
"Hey-" Kurt's cut off because Blaine's falls into his arms, sitting in his lap and hiding his face in his neck, gripping at his sweater. "Blaine?" Kurt holds him tight to his chest, rubbing his back carefully, but worry filling his voice. Blaine shakes his head in response, burrowing his face farther into Kurt's shoulder, crying harder.

  
Kurt doesn't ask anymore questions, but instead holds his boyfriend closer to himself and trying to comfort any way he possibly can by rubbing his back and whispering in his ear.

 

-0-

 

He knows he shouldn't be doing this. He just felt too weak, but he also felt disgusting. He swears he can feel the grime gather on his skin. He felt horrible though, weak, like he was just a fragile doll, waiting to be pushed over. His legs were shaking and his head was pounding. The dizziness didn't help either, making his eyes flutter, but for the most part remain shut, so he can try and steady himself. It wasn't working though, but what's new? It felt like nothing worked anymore.

  
Blaine should just go back to bed. He should just get back in bed and wait for Kurt to come or just go and relax and fall asleep, but no, he needed this shower. He needs to feel independent. He's been leaning on Kurt way too much these past few months.

  
His palms were pressed on the wall behind the shower head, with water falling down his back and face. He didn't know what to do anymore.

  
"Blaine? Are you in the shower?" Kurt's voice and soft knock came through the door. Blaine lifts his head. He wasn't suppose to come until four. He must have been in here longer than expected.

  
"Yeah, I'm-I'm almost done," Blaine says. Kurt doesn't say anything more, so it must have satisfied him enough. Blaine hangs his head back down, leaning it against the shower wall, letting the burning hot water fall down his back, because he was still freezing. He still had goosebumps on his arms, even though his back was red from the hot water. He lets out a deep sigh, wiping his cheeks. It was useless though because they were still coming down and shower water was still covering his head.

  
The singer stands up straight, removing his hands from the wall, which was a horrible decision, considering his head felt like it was filled with cotton and he started feeling a little tipsy. He goes to use the wall for suport again, but he was already on the floor, taking down a couple of shampoo bottles as well. That's when the dam broke. Sobs started to wrack his body. He doesn't bother getting up, just crying harder and harder with each sob.

 

When he heard the clatter from the bathroom, Kurt's head snapped up from his Vogue magazine.

  
"Blaine?" He calls, his eyes going wide. He shuts the magazine, getting to his feet and hurrying over to the bathroom door, knocking on it. "Blaine, are you okay? What happened?" He asks. He doesn't get a response. "I'm coming in," He announces, opening the bathroom door, that luckily doesn't have a lock.

  
The sight that greets him has his heart sinking and his breath hitching.

  
Blaine lying on the floor of the walk-in shower through the glass door, curled up in a tight ball, sobbing his heart out. The shower was still running and smacking against his skin and his shoulders were shaking. His skin was tinted a light red from the shower, making Kurt believe the water was burning hot. It reminded him a lot of when Cooper had called him when Blaine had the fever, which sent his body into panic mode. He couldn't go through that again.

  
"Oh my God, Blaine," The boy breathes. Kurt hurries into the room, reaching into the shower to switch off the faucet and open up the door, not really caring that his sleeve is getting wet. He rolls Blaine over on his back, and Blaine just curls up on his side again, gripping at Kurt's sweater.

  
"Jesus," Kurt cries, letting a sobbing Blaine latch onto him like he was the only thing left on the Earth. While Blaine buries himself further into himself, Kurt reaches over for a towel, covering up the boy's naked body. His sobs are loud against the bathroom walls echoing off them and back into his ears. "Shh," Kurt tries to comfort, using the towel to dry him off a little. Blaine shakes his head, hiding his face into Kurt.

  
"I don't wanna do this," He cries.

  
"What? Do what? Blaine, baby, talk to me," he scoffs, worriedly, pulling the boy closer to his chest. Blaine shakes his head again, not answering and instead gripping at Kurt's sweater even more. "Honey, you need to calm down. Take deep breaths," He tries, but Blaine wouldn't, his breathing was too ragged and his sobs only got louder.

  
"Calm down and we can talk. I can't help you until you calm down a little," He says. It still wasn't working, so he tries his next option. Singing.

  
_"Love of mine, some day you will die_   
_But I'll be close behind_   
_I'll follow you into the dark_   
_No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white_   
_Just our hands clasped so tight_   
_Waiting for the hint of a spark"_

  
His voice is just above a whisper, his lips pressed against the top of Blaine's bald head while he cried, sobbed even.

  
_"If Heaven and Hell decide_   
_That they both are satisfied_   
_Illuminate the No's on their vacancy signs_   
_If there's no one beside you_   
_When your soul embarks_   
_Then I'll follow you into the dark"_

  
This wouldn't be the first time Kurt's done this. After the Michael Jackson off, Kurt held Blaine on the way to the hospital, humming into his ear and by the time they got there, he was calm enough that the nurses could work on him and help him.

  
Another time was after his dad and him had gotten into a fight and he had called Kurt, sobbing his eyes out. Kurt couldn't get him calm enough to talk, so he started singing a soft song into the speaker and he had calmed down enough to fall asleep.

  
_"In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule_   
_I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black_   
_And I held my tongue as she told me,_   
_"Son, fear is the heart of love."_   
_So I never went back"_

  
Blaine's breathing starts to even out, becoming a little slower, but better and it even relaxes Kurt a little bit. He rubs at his boyfriend's shoulder, his lips against the top of his head, his voice soft and gentle. His sobs start to become less and less with every word.

  
_"If Heaven and Hell decide_   
_That they both are satisfied_   
_Illuminate the No's on their vacancy signs_   
_If there's no one beside you_   
_When your soul embarks_   
_Then I'll follow you into the dark_   
_Then I'll follow you into the dark"_

  
He finishes the song and by now Blaine's breathing is normal, slow even. He's still shaking a little in his arms, but it's not horrible and not half as bad as it was before. It's better than it was before the song, butno words were coming from his mouth.

  
"Do you want to get dressed and we can talk?" Kurt asks, his eyes shining with tears of worry. Seeing Blaine like, vulnerable, hurt, and scared still worried him and probably always would, not matter how many times he's seen him like thsi in the past few months. Blaine hiccups, but nods his head. He pulls back and Kurt wipes at his cheeks. "You're okay," He nods, making Blaine do the same. Kurt gives him a small smile, pecking his forehead, his lips lingering over the spot. He gets to his feet, helping Blaine up as well, who leans heavy on Kurt, who sits the sick boy onthe toilet lid. He hurries back into his main room, getting him a clean pair of boxers, sweatpants and a t-shirt from one of the drawers below the TV.

  
When he gets back, Blaine is slumped foreward sitting on the towel, but other than that under him, he's totally naked and shivering. Again, this was giving him flashback to when he had the fever.

  
The sight used to make Kurt blush and make his heart race pick up, and make his breath hitch, but now it just worries him.

  
He was so skinny, deathly skinny. Like he hadn't eaten in weeks. His skin isn't pale, but pasty white, sickly even. He stops in the doorway, looking at him with worry and hurt.   
Kurt hates seeing his boyfriend like this, so weak and sick looking. He just wants to fix everything, scoop him up and protect him from the world and cancer, but he can't. This is just something they have to deal with together and hope for the best. It hurts every bone in his body knowing that. Knowing that he can't do a single thing for his boyfriend. One of the few good things left in this world and here he was aching and hurting and he can't help.

  
Kurt kneels in front of his boyfriend, lifting his chin to press a kiss to his lips. It took a second, but Blaine is soon kissing back. It was nothing but a closed mouth kiss, but it was still passionate and special. When he pulls back, he cups his cheek, looking him over, trying to contain his emotion, but it wasn't working. So, he just wipes at his eyes and he pulls back, helping his boyfriend get dressed.

  
"I'm so pathetic," Blaine breathes, sliding the dark green t-shirt over his head. He shakes his head, rolling his eyes at himself.

  
"No, you're not. You're sick, not pathetic," Kurt says, dragging Blaine's chin up so he can look him in the eyes. He doesn't say anything more, but he just stares into his eyes. Blaine stares back, nodding his head a little.

  
"Okay," He breathes, tears starting in his eyes again. Kurt gives him a small smile, leaning forward to peck his lips briefly. When they break apart, he lets their forehead rest against each other's for a few seconds, Kurt just rubbing his thumb across Blaine's cheek, soaking each other up for a few more minutes.

  
He gets to his feet though, helping him up and leading him back into his room.

  
Once Kurt gets him back in bed, he sits behind him, letting Blaine crawl between his legs. The former Warbler rests his head on Kurt's elbow, leaning to his side. Kurt wraps his arms tight around him, one arm coming around from his waist up and to his shoulder, holding tightly.

  
It takes five minutes for anyone to say anything, but Kurt speaks up first, his thumb rubbing across his shoulder gently.

  
"What did you mean when you said you don't wanna do this?" Kurt asks, his eyes squinting as he looks up and off at the blank TV screen in front of them. Blaine goes stiff, rubbing his nose against Kurt's arm.

  
"This," He says emphasizes the word. "I don't wanna do any of this anymore," He sigh heavily, his face turning solemn. Kurt doesn't say anything, waiting for Blaine to continue. "I'm just so sick of it all. I'm sick of feeling like nothing matters anymore. I'm sick of feeling weak and dependent on everyone else, I-"

  
"That's okay, B. You need us and that's not a bad thing. It's normal, it's-"

  
"Well, I hate it, okay? It sucks. I used to be able to take care of myself. I've been doing it ever since Cooper left, and now I can't. I'm always waiting for someone to help me. I mean I couldn't even take a shower without crashing," He scoffs at the last part, and Kurt squeezes his shoulder tighter, his face turning solemn with worry.

  
"I'm just so over it. I wanna be healthy again. I wanna go dance at Nationals with you guys and I want to go to Junior Prom with you. I wanna slow dance with you, your head on my shoulder. I want to go to New York with you and go see Wicked for the first time. I wanna go on dates with you and I want to perform every week in glee club, but I can't,"

  
"But you will. We're going to do all those things, next year. You just have to be patient, you just have to wait a while, you-"

  
"Unless I don't make it," Blaine mutters,

  
"You're going to make it," Kurt repeats. He feels like he's said a million amount of times over the past few months and it's something he never thought he'd have to convince his boyfriend of.

  
Convincing him to watch Bravo! with him, maybe. Trying to get him to eat at the Thai place he loves, probably. But, convincing him that he's going to live to see next year? No, no way, and he hates it. He hates trying to convince him, because in reality, he's just as scared at Blaine was.

  
"Maybe I shouldn't," that was Blaine's response, making Kurt go stiff. He voice was just above a whisper, but Kurt heard them.

  
"What?" Kurt pulls back slightly, his shoulder slumping, and his thumb stopping. He swallows thickly, scared to hear Blaine answer.

  
"Maybe I shouldn't make it. Maybe, it would just be easier if I didn't. Maybe I should just give up now, save people time, including myself," He scoffed, shaking his head. Kurt can't help it. He lets out a soft sob, wiping at his eyes.

  
"Don't talk like that," Kurt says, leaning to press a kiss to his head.

  
"I mean, really. What good am I if I can't even take a shower by myself? I mean, I may not even be able to have kids either, and that's one of my dreams. Children of my own. So, why use am I?"

  
"Blaine, you're my everything," Kurt cries, pulling the boy tighter to his chest. He lets out another whimper. "I can't live without you by my side, Blaine. I need you,"

  
"Yeah, and no one else. No one else needs me. No one else wants me. There's you and that's it and all I do it drag you down. I make everything worse for you. You've said it yourself, you have sacrificed so many things for me for no reason. All I do is makes things worse. You could be out going to prom and spending Friday nights with your dad and Finn, and your weekends spent going to the mall with Rachel, but you're not. You waste time here with me, who most of the time just sleeps because I feel too crap to move,"

Blaine replies, his tears starting up again.

  
"I don't care about any of that. I just want you to be okay," Kurt responds, pressing another soft kiss to the top of his head. They remain silent after that, neither saying anything for awhile. Kurt just watches Blaine's chest rise and fall with every breath, knowing he's still breathing. Blaine on the other hand just stares at the wall, not saying anything.

  
"I could do it," Blaine blurts, still staring straight ahead. The other boy hesitates.

  
"What? Do what?" Kurt knows what he's talking about, but wants to be sure, hoping he'll say something else. He doesn't even answer the question straight up though.

  
"I mean I take at least nine pills a day, I could just take them all. I could just swallow them and go to sleep. I could just make it all go away. I could just make everyone happy and fix everything," He says, picking at Kurt's sweater. Kurt breathing goes ragged.

  
"No, no, no," Kurt panics, pulling Blaine farther into his lap. They fall silent again and Kurt pulls out his phone, making sure Blaine doesn't see.

  
_To Marcus:_

  
_Please get here ASAP_

  
_From Kurt_

  
He finishes the text with shaking fingers and wraps both his arms around a now crying Blaine, tears starting to rush down his cheeks and wetting his eyes. He grips at his boyfriend's arm, nuzzling his face against the fabric, his sobs starting to get louder.

  
"Shh," Kurt tries to comfort, squeezing Blaine harder. "Please, baby just calm down, please," He begs, rubbing at his arm.

  
"I want it to stop. I want it to go away, so bad," He cries, his tears soaking the fabric of Kurt's sweater. Kurt's phone goes off with a text, but Kurt ignores it and hopes it Marcus saying he's on his way. He should be in the hospital today working, so hopefully, he'll get here quick.

  
"I know, Baby, I know," Kurt responds, Blaine's shoulders shaking with uncontrollable sobs. Kurt holds him, rocking him back and forth, panic bubbling his insides as he listened to Blaine cry and say how much he wants everything to go away and stop. All until, a breathless Marcus is coming through the door, holding onto the door frame. Kurt looks up helplessly and Blaine just grips Kurt's arm tighter.

  
Marcus looks between the two, his shoulder relaxing, knowing neither was bleeding or bruised, that he could tell.

  
"Blaine? What happened?" Marcus asks, slowly coming in the door. Blaine doesn't respond, so he comes in the rest of the way and kneels in front of his face. "Blaine, you gotta talk to me. I can't help you if you don't," He says, putting a hand on his leg, patting reassuringly.

  
"I don't wanna be here," Blaine says quietly, his voice trailing off. Kurt lets out a deep breath through pursed lips.

  
"What do you mean? Like what we talked about a few weeks ago?" Marucs asks, concern written in his face. Blaine slowly nods. Kurt instinctively pulls the boy a little closer to himself, again.

  
"I just want it to stop, so bad. I'm sick of it," He cries.

  
"Why?"

  
"I'm sick of being sick. I'm tired of throwing up, letting people down, being a damper on everyone's lives. It would just be better if I wasn't here," His voice falls quiet at the end.

  
"No," That's all Kurt can manage to say, but he squeezes the boy tight, dropping a kiss to his shoulder.

  
"Blaine, you know that's not true. You are not letting anyone down. You are pushing through this as best you can and that's all we could ask of you. You are doing a great job and if you were being a damper on anyone's life they would have left. Kurt is still here, holding you at your worst. Burt was here last week, holding you at your worst, and Damien has done the same a month ago. You will never be damper," He assures him, dipping his head to look into his eyes. Blaine takes a few deep breaths.

  
"Have you been taking your medication?" Marcus asks, worry filling his voice. This wasn't a rare occurrence. In fact, it happens a lot at therapy. His voice trying to stay strong, but it was filled with emotion and his face was scrunched with concern. Blaine just nods his head, Kurt watching him carefully.

  
"How long have you been feeling like this?"

  
"I don't know," Blaine shrugs, shaking his head and burrowing it farther into the crook of his boyfriend's elbow.

  
"More than a month?" Marcus asks, petting Blaine's blanket covered leg carefully. Blaine shakes his head no.

  
"Okay. I think it's his medication," Marcus looks up to Kurt, who stares back.

  
"What? What do you mean? How does a pill have this kind of effect on him? God, he talked about killing himself," Kurt sighs, rubbing his boyfriend's shoulder protectively.   
"It effects the chemicals in his brain, and for some people it doesn't work. This one just made things worse, it's not uncommon,"

  
"So what do we do?" Kurt asks, looking down at Blaine's still stature, clearly a little worn out.

  
"I'm going to take him off the Prozac immediately. Maybe Zoloft will work for him," He wonders aloud, looking back down at the boy, who just nods at his therapist. Marcus gets to his feet. "Where does he keep them?" He asks, calling from the bathroom.

  
"They're right next to the sink," Kurt says. Marcus grabs the prescription bottle, popping it open. He flushes the small pills down the toilet, without a second thought, like it was the easiest thing to do.

  
"I don't want him taking them anymore," Marcus says, tossing the bottle in the trashcan.

  
"Okay," Kurt says. Marcus comes back out from the bathroom, putting his hands on his hips. "What am I suppose to do? How do I help him?" Kurt asks, noticing Blaine was starting to fall asleep, his grip on his arm becoming lose.

  
"I don't know. Ask him. Just be there for him. No matter what happens, which I'm sure I don't have to tell you. Until the Zoloft starts taking a little control, he might be a little different, but just know it's not permanent. It's only until the new pills kick in. Also, until this new medication starts to kick in, I don't know if I want him taking medication on his own," Marcus replies.

  
"What do you mean?"

  
"If he's talking about killing himself with these pills, I don't want him taking this opportunity. I don't wanna risk it. So, I'll talk to Damien, make him give Blaine the pills himself until he can get some thing under control,"

  
"Okay," Kurt repeats, glancing back down at the now sleeping boy. This was definentely wearing him out.

  
"I'm going to go fill that prescription for him. He can start taking it once a day before he goes to bed,"

"Before he goes to bed?" Kurt questions, looking back up at the therapist.

  
"Yeah, Zoloft makes you tired, so it may even help him sleep a little bit better," Marus nods, letting out a deep sigh. Kurt nods his head, his thumb rubbing lovingly across the boy's shoulder.

  
"Alright, I'll be back later tonight. If anything else happens, call me right away or scream down the hall, and I mean anything," He says, his face falling.

  
"Will do," Kurt says simply, nodding his head. Marcus does the same, and with that, he turns around, heading towards the pharmacy to make sure that perscription gets filled as soon as possible.

  
Kurt sits back against the bed, and pulls Blaine up with him. Luckily, Blaine doesn't do anything more than curl up a little more, soft snores escaping his lips. The auburn haired boy, pulls Blaine's blanket up farther to his shoulders and he starts to rub his shoulder gently, letting his cheek rest against the top of his head. He moves his hand so it's resting against his heart, feeling every beat. It's comforting, refreshing.

  
"You'll be okay," Kurt whispers more to himself than anyone else. He needed it.

 

-0-

 

He promised he'd be here. He promised. It shouldn't matter though, because honestly, Kurt's been there for everything, no matter how little it was. Whether it be his first chemo treatment or just a nightmare, Kurt was there by his side, holding him close to his chest, making him feel at home again. It shouldn't matter that he's missed one thing, but he promised he would be here. It's so unlike him to miss this. His first radiation treatment. He was supposed to be here two hours ago. Where was he?

  
"Blaine, I don't think he's coming," Cooper says, coming to sit on the edge of Blaine's bed, right beside his brother. Blaine sighs heavily, checking his phone once more. Still nothing. He scoffs, rolling his eyes. He was being ridiculous for being angry at the boy, but he couldn't help it.

  
"Should I call him again?" Blaine asks, biting his bottom lip.

  
"You've called him eight times in the past twenty minutes," Cooper says, putting a hand on his litte brother's knee. Blaine sighs, looking down at his hands, where he was playing with his phone, sliding it through his fingers.

  
"You're right," He says finally, shaking his head.

  
"Hey, it'll be alright," Cooper assures him, squeezing his knee.

  
"This is just so unlike him. He would have called if he was going to be late," Blaine shakes his head.

  
"Maybe he forgot or something," Cooper shrugs, trying to make his baby brother feel better, but that made him feel worse. Kurt just forgot about him.

  
"No, he wouldn't. He wouldn't forget something like this. There's no way," He says, looking down at his hands with worry. "What if something happened? What if he's hurt or what if something's wrong?" He says panic starting to fill his body. Cooper goes to answer, but someone cuts him off.

  
"Afternoon, Blaine, Cooper," Dr. Thomas smiles, coming into the room.

  
"Hi," Blaine says solemnly. Cooper sighs heavily with sympathy.

  
"Why so solemn? Are you nervous? I promise today will be breeze. It will be like it didn't even happen," His doctor assures him, checking the clipboard at the end of the bed, before coming over to the two.

  
"No, it's not that. Kurt's not here,"

  
"Oh, do you wanna wait for him? We can give him another ten minutes," Dr. Thomas says, putting his hands on his hips. Blaine looks over to Cooper briefly.

  
"I'll call him the entire time you're in there, alright? I won't stop until he picks up," Cooper says, a small smile on his face. Blaine nods his head, turning back to his doctor.

  
"No, no it's fine. We can get started. I don't think he's going to make it. We've been waiting for a couple hours now," Blaine says, biting his lip.

  
"Alright. I'm sure he'll be here when you get back," Dr. Thomas says, giving the boy a wink and pat to the shoulder. Blaine nods his head. "Well, let's get going then," Blaine nods again, looking down at his phone one last time, hoping Kurt left a text he missed or something, but he didn't find anything. He sighs heavily, getting to his feet. He turns back to his brother briefly.

  
"Promise you'll get ahold of him? I'm really worried about him," Blaine says, his brow scrunched with concern.

  
"Of course. I promise," Cooper nods his head, putting a hand on his shoulder. Blaine lets out a deep breath hanging his head down.

  
"Ready?" Dr. Thomas asks, a small smile on his face. Blaine nods his head, turning back towards him to follow him out the door. Cooper plopped himself back down on the bed, running nervous hands through his hair. He lets out a deep breath, whipping out his phone from his pocket.

  
If Kurt wasn't okay, they'd be in deep shit. Blaine would be a wreck, a complete wreck. There's no way he would come out of that. He gets to his feet, so he could pace, dialing the number from his contacts list. He puts it up to ear and rests his free hand on his hip.

  
"Come on, Hummel. Pick up the damn phone," He sighs, walking around the room with careful footsteps. It goes to voicemail. Just like it has been for Blaine for the past two hours.

  
"This is Kurt Hummel. Leave a message, blah, blah, blah," The recording says, making Cooper's shoulders fall flat. A beep is heard and Cooper stars talking.

  
"Hey, Kurt. It's Cooper. Blaine just went in for radiation and he's expecting you when he gets out. Where are you?" He waits a few seconds, trying to think of what else to say.

"That's it. I'll hopefully see you soon," With that, he hangs up.

  
The older Anderson brother waits three minutes before dialing again. Like the last time, it goes to voicemail. He groans loudly, trying to think of someone else he could dial. It hits him. He quickly pulls his contact list up, hitting the green call button on the man's name. This time it only takes two rings to get an answer.

  
"Hello?" The gruff man's voice is heard through the speaker.

  
"Hey Burt. It's Cooper,"

  
"Hi Cooper, what can I do for you? Did something happen to Blaine?" He asks.

  
"No. He just went into radiation, but we haven't seen Kurt,"

  
"What do you mean you haven't seen him? He left a half hour early from school to go see him. Where else would he be?"

  
"I don't know. We've spent the last two hours trying to call him and we haven't got anything but voicemail. We were hoping you were with him, or he got caught up or something,"

  
"No, we haven't heard anything from him," He says, worry starting to fill his voice. "I don't understand where he could have gone," He scoffs.

  
"Yeah, we don't know either. Blaine was freaking out because he's worried something happened,"

  
"I'll try calling him, if he doesn't answer, I'll go looking for him. We'll get ahold him one way or another," Burt says gruffly.

  
"Ok," Cooper says simply, hanging up the phone. Cooper takes a deep breath, plopping back down on the bed, running his hands through his messy dark brown hair. It was going to be a long day.

 

-0-

 

He didn't see it. But, I guess that the definition for black ice. One moment he was driving down the road, listening to the 'Anything Goes' soundtrack and the next, his car was crashed up against a tree, his head throbbing.

  
Kurt slowly picks his head up from the steering wheel. The singer looks around slowly. The entire front end was smushed and his seat was extremely close to the tree. The hood of the car was smoking, which never meant anything good.

  
He brings his fingertips to his forehead where the throbbing was coming from. Blood was left on his skin. He takes in a shaky breath. He has to get out of here.

  
The countertenor looks around for an escape route. He pushes on his door, but there was no way he was getting out of that. It was smushed and bent and there was no way that was working out for him. He picks up his head looking around for a second option. The windshield was cracked with a large opening in front of the passenger seat. He could go through there, making the hole bigger, but then he'd have to step out and through all that glass. No, that wasn't an option.

  
The singer turns his head to look around the car. He doesn't find an alternative way of getting out, but he does find his phone sitting on the ground in the passenger seat. He reaches over, groaning loudly as he does. That was painful. He felt stiff and weak. He reaches around until his fingers grasp it, pulling it into his hand. He turns over, rolling his eyes when he sees it's cracked. He hits the power button a few times, and luckily, it turned on.

  
"Thank God," He breathes, continuing to look around the car. The sun roof. He looks up at the roof. It's already open, but the window was still shut, almost untouched besides a large crack through the middle. There's no way he was going to be able to break that. He has to go through the driver's side window. It's already shattered, a large hole in the middle of it. He takes a deep breath, removing his jacket with a sore left arm. The boy covers his face so he doesn't bloody it up even more and uses his fist to push out the rest of the glass, making sure to clean the edges so he can climb out of it.

  
Once that's done, he puts his jacket back on, knowing he'd need to keep warm. He groans loudly as he unbuckles his seatbelt and manages to climb through the window. He goes feet first so he can climb down, but as soon as his feet touch the ground, his legs go weak, and he uses the car to stabilize him, but he ends up just sinking down onto the frozen grass and lays against it.

  
"Oh my God," he cries, covering his face with his hands and letting out a loud sob. "No, no, no," he cries, his shoulders starting to shake with fear and pain, his body was shaking and his body ached from the crash. He looks down his body and to his car.

  
The entire front end was gone, just crashed against the large tree trunk. How did he manage to survive that and leave with a few scrapes? There's no way that happened.

  
"Holy shit," He whispers, his head falling back against the cold ground. He needs to get out of here. He needs to call someone. He pulls his broken phone out, seeing the hundreds of missed calls from Blaine and Cooper, but that was the least of his concerns right now. He scrolls through his contacts list until he finds the name he's looking for. It rings only once before he picks up.

  
"Kurt? Where the hell have you been?" His dad's voice says authoritvely, worry still clear in his voice. Kurt can't say anything, but he just lets out a loud, broken sob. "Kurt? What's wrong? What happened?"

  
"I'm stuck here," He cries, his shoulders shaking harshly.

  
"Where? What's going on?"

  
"I crashed the car. It's ruined," He sobs.

  
"The car doesn't matter. Are you okay?"

  
"I think so," He manages, putting a hand over his forehead, careful of the bloody spot. "I just hurt. I don't know what to do," He cries, his voice going quiet.

  
"Where are you?" Burt asks. Kurt can already hear the jingle of keys.

  
"I was on my way to the hospital. I don't know where I am," He says, shaking his head. Panic was really starting to set into him.

  
"Look around, give me anything, kiddo," Kurt picks his head up, looking around him.

  
"I can see the road sign. I'm right at an intersection,"

  
"What's it say, Kurt,?" With Burt's voice, there's Carole's saying something about coming too, and the slam of a car door.

  
"I'm at the intersection between Eighth and Elm," He reports, wiping at his eyes, but hissing when he feels a bloody gash on it.

  
"OK, we're on our way. Are you alright?"

  
"I don't know. I'm really hurting and the car is smoking and-"

  
"The car is smoking? Kurt, get away from it. It could blow," He says simply. Kurt nods his head although his father can't see and starts to scoot away from the car until he's at the edge of the road.

  
"I-I'm at the edge of the road," He announces.

  
"Good. Stay strong kid. We're coming," He says simply. Kurt nods again, bringing his knees up to his chest, groaning as he did so. "And Kurt?"

  
"Yeah, Dad?"

  
"I love you so much," He breathes. "And I'm so glad that you're okay,"

  
"I love you too, Dad," He repeats. With that, they hang up, even though they linger for a few more seconds. As soon as his phone is put down, he falls against the grass, curling in on his side. He was freezing and his entire body ached. Every second it gets worse and worse, his adrenaline diminishing and the pain starting to win over his energy.

 

 

It takes another half hour for anyone to come. Cars passed him, but none of them cared enough to stop or give a shit about him. That was Ohio for you, but Burt does eventually come, pulling up in his red pick-up truck. Carole jumps out while Burt puts the truck in park.

  
"Oh Honey," Carole coos, kneeling in front of the boy, and pulling the boy into his arms. Kurt falls apart then, gripping at the back of her sweater. "Shh," She comforts, petting his hair down carefully, trying to ignore the matted blood in his auburn locks. Burt's beside him within a minute. Kurt cries harder at the sight of him, moving so Burt can hug him tight.

  
"You're okay, Son," He comforts, squeezing him tight. "Come on, let's get you to the hospital," He pulls Kurt up, Kurt groaning all the way. "You're alright," He says, helping him up and into the truck. Kurt just didn't have any energy left at this point. Carole gets in beside him and Burt goes over to the other side, getting in.

  
Kurt lays his head on Carole's shoulder, tears running down his cheek. He didn't want to see his reflection anywhere. He didn't want to know how bad his face looked. He could feel it. He didn't wanna see it too.

  
"Shh," Carole comforts, petting his hair once more.

  
"We'll take you to the hospital, and you can get fixed up. Then, you can go down and see Blaine, explain what happened,"

  
"NO!" Kurt lifts his head instantly up from Carole's shoulder. "I completley forgot about Blaine. I have to go see him first. I promised I'd be there for him. Today was his first-"  
"Radiation, I know, but look at you Kurt. You look like shit for the first time in your life. You need to go get fixed up," Burt argues.

  
"No, I'll go talk to Blaine and fix myself up. I'll be fine. It's not that bad," He replies, sniffling back his tears. If he was going to sell that act, he couldn't be crying. Burt sighs heavily.

  
"How about you go down there and Damien will fix you up? I'll call him, alright?" Burt offers, making Kurt nod his head. Burt pulls out his phone, and Carole dials the number for him so he doesn't have to look at his screen before passing it back to her husband. Kurt's head falls back against Carole's shoulder and Carole goes back to petting his hair comfortingly, like he knows he likes.

 

It's another hour before they arrive at the hospital, and against Burt's better judgement, not to the emergency room entrance. Carole climbs out and helps Kurt down from the high truck, which he groans at. He walks in on his own though, more like limping in, with Burt and Carole behind him.

  
As planned, Damien was waiting for them at the door.

  
"Jesus, Kurt," Damien breathes, putting a hand on his shoulder before pulling him in for a hug. Kurt falls into his arms, gripping onto his navy blue scrubs. "What the hell happened? Did you hit ice? Lose control? Texting?"

  
"No, I wasn't texting, I promise. I hit some black ice," Kurt says, pulling back from the nurse. Damien sighs heavily, rubbing his arm in a fatherly way, like he's been doing to both the boys for the past few months.

  
"I'm glad you're okay. Come on, There's an empty room down the hall," He says, nodding down the hall. Kurt nods, following the nurse. "I pulled your file, so I can do this. I'm not doing anything illegal. I love you, but not that much," He jokes, bringing a small smile to Kurt's face. Burt and Carole follow the pair through the hospital. Kurt stops dead in tracks when he sees Blaine walking down the hallway with Cooper at his side, his cheeks stained red from tears. Damien stops too, hoping Blaine didn't see him, but it's too late. They already have.

  
"Kurt," Blaine breathes, starting for his boyfriend. Kurt's breath hitches in his throat as Blaine wraps his arms around his waist, pulling him close. Kurt lets out a sob, it being muffled by Blaine's hoodie. He wraps his arms tightly around Blaine's neck, hiding his face in the crook of his neck.

  
"I'm sorry," Kurt apologizes. "I'm sorry I wasn't here,"

  
"No, no," Blaine shakes his head, holding the boy close and squeezing him not matter how little strength he had. "What happened?" He asks, pulling back so he can look over Kurt's face. He looked just as tired and weak as Blaine has for the past few months.

  
"I hit some black ice and hit a tree, but I'm fine. I'm okay, really,"

  
"Don't tell me you're okay, Jesus Christ, Kurt. Look at yourself. You're bleeding," he exclaims, cupping his cheeks carefully. Kurt wraps his hands around Blaine's wrists.  
"I'm going to go get fixed up and I'll be right back, alright?" He says ignoring Blaine's worried expression, almost being driven to tears.

  
"No, I'll go with you," He says simply, nodding his head as if it was obvious.

  
"No, I can handle myself. Go back to your room and I'll meet you there, okay? I'll explain everything when I get back and you can tell me how your appointment went,"   
"Kurt-"

  
"I'm serious. I love you," He leans in, pecking his lips, but hissing at first contact. He didn't even realize he had a cut on his lip at all. Blaine pulls back instantly, running his thumb across the cut.

  
"I love you too," He says in defeat. Leaning over to peck his cheek instead. They let go and Blaine heads back to his room, while Kurt continues to follow Damien down the halls. They get to the empty room and Kurt sits on the exam table.

  
They're no longer in the cancer part, but just outside of it, in one of the empty, unused rooms.

  
"You sure you don't want Blaine here?" Damien asks, getting supplies from the cupboards.

  
"No, he doesn't need to worry about me right now," He says shaking his head. Damien nods as Carole and Burt take a seat.

  
"So selfless," He says with a small smile. Kurt's cheeks turn a light pink, this time not from stained blood. Damien grabs a cotton ball, dabbing it with rubbing alcohol. "This might hurt a little," He says, pulling up a stool. Kurt nods, waiting for the sting, which arrives as soon as the cotton ball hits his forehead gash. He pulls back at first, but Damien continues on.

  
"Have you heard anything about his radiation?" Kurt asks, while Damien moves onto his cheek.

  
"I heard it went well. Blaine talked to me a little bit after. He said he was worried about you, but he did well. Dr. Thomas was even proud of him," He says, making Kurt smile.   
"I am too," Kurt breathes. Damien gives him a warm smile, cleaning up some of the dry blood on his skin. The nurse pulls out a needle and a thread.

  
"I think I'm going to have to stitch this one on your cheek," He announces, using the cotton ball again to clean him up a bit more. Kurt nods.

  
Damien finishes up the stitches fairly quickly and it's only around twenty more minutes before he was finished. Kurt hopes off the exam table.

  
"If you want, I can help clean some of the blood from your hair," He says, wiping his hands on a towel. Kurt nods, putting his fingers in it. That forehead one must have bled worse than he thought. Damien did end up putting stitches in that one too. Damien switches on the sink. "Take your shirt off. We'll give you a clean one," He says. Kurt nods, undoing the buttons on his black button up, it having a few blood stains on it that must have dripped down from his face, or it was from a the couple cuts on his arms. Kurt shrugs it off and Damien reaches into one of the cupboards, pulling out a grey t-shirt with plain black writing from some health unit fundraiser from 2016. Kurt leans his head over the sink and Damien starts to wash the blood from the auburn locks.

  
The water is kind of cold, but Kurt wasn't about to complain. The blood mixes with the water, turning it a faint pink color. Damien watches the way Kurt was taking deep breaths and his hands shaking. Damien graps the bottle of small soap and squirts it into his hands, washing the back of Kurt's head throughly to make sure he got all of the blood out. It takes a few rinses, but eventually, it all comes out.

  
"Alright, you're good," He announces, reaching over for a towel and handing it to the boy. Kurt squeezes the water from it and getting as much as he could out so he wasn't walking around with a head full of wet hair. Once he's finished, he puts on the clean shirt and grabs the soiled ones.

  
"Thank you, Damien," Kurt breathes. Damien smiles, pulling the boy in for a tight hug.

  
"Anthing for you guys. You know I love you," He says, rubbing his back carefully, not wanting to hurt him anymore. Kurt smile with content, before pulling back. "You better get back to Blaine before he worries some more," He chuckles giving him a warm smile. Kurt ducks his head, taking a deep breath.

  
"Thank you again," Kurt repeats. Damien shakes his head and Burt and Carole gets to their feet. The nurse pats him on the shoulder and the trio make their way out of the room and down the halls, back to the boy waiting for them.

  
When they get there, Blaine was sitting at the edge of his bed and Cooper was sat still on the couch.

  
"Kurt," Blaine breathes, getting to his feet and wrapping him in a tight hug.

  
"Hey," Kurt chuckles lightly, wrapping his arms around the boy's shoulders, pecking the top of his head.

  
"Are you okay?" Blaine pulls back, cupping his cheeks and examining him.

  
"I'm fine. I'm sore, but I'm fine," He says nodding his head. Blaine does the same and pecks the boy's lips, briefly, careful of the cut there.

  
"Come on, tell me what happened," Blaine takes his hand and pull him to the bed, where they sat next to each other, fingers intertwined. Burt and Carole sit beside Cooper, both of them wrapping him in a hug, which he kindly accepts.

 

Blaine leans heavily on his boyfriend, resting his head on the boy's shoulder, his lips lingering over the fabric while Kurt starts to explain things.

 

-0-

 

"You don't have to go," Blaine lets out a deep sigh, looking down at his hands, so he didn't have to look at his brother, who was standing in the doorway, his hands on his hips.

  
"Yeah, I do," Cooper replies, looking down at his feet as he takes a few steps in. It was late at night the next day. Blaine bites his bottom lip, turning his head to look at Kurt who had fallen asleep during their movie.

  
The boy was curled up on his side, his face relaxed with sleep, but bruised and cut from the accident yesterday. He was still terribly sore, so Blaine didn't complain when he fell asleep only a few minutes in. Kurt had stitches along his right cheek and across his left temple, bruises were peppering his jaw line and his forehead. While cuts were decorating the skin lightly. None of them realized just how bad the bruises were until he woke up the next day from where he hit the steering wheel.

  
Not only was his face cut up, but so was his fist from punching out the window, along with a few minor cuts along his chest and arms, but nothing horrible. Kurt was incredibly sore though, having been whipped like a rag doll during the accident. He was even more sore this morning.

  
The singer looks back when Cooper sits beside him on the edge of the bed, putting a comforting hand on his little brother's knee.

  
"You don't need to go," Blaine repeats, that being his only argument.

  
"Yeah, you don't need me here anymore," He says finally, staring at his brother carefully, while Blaine just looked down at his lap.

  
"Why would you say that?" Blaine asks, scrunching his brow together. He shakes his head with disbelief.

  
"You have him now," Cooper says nodding towards the sleeping boy. Blaine swallows, unable to help the small smile when he reaches over to rub his thumb across his bruised cheek. Even beat up, he was still beautiful.

  
"That doesn't mean I don't want you here," Blaine says, removing his hand from Kurt's cheek, and sliding it down to his hip, where he let it rest gently.   
"No, you just don't know it yet," Cooper replies, nudging his shoulder.

  
"Will you stop that?" Blaine scoffs, turning to look back at his brother.

  
"It's true, Blaine. You don't need me, you have Kurt and he does a great job taking care of you,"

  
"Cooper, you're the only family I have left. I mean real family. Don't get me wrong, the Hummel's, Damien and Marcus, are all family, but Cooper, you're the only Anderson left. The only one that gives a shit about me anymore,"

  
"Mom still cares she just-"

  
"No, don't give me that bullshit, please," Blaine shakes his head. "I really just don't want you to go,"

  
"I've been here for a month. I have to go back to New York and finish up shooting this movie,"

  
"I still don't want you to leave," Blaine says, biting his bottom lip.

  
"I know," Cooper nods. They go quiet after that, just absorbing each other's presence. Not really knowing what else to say. The actor wraps an arm around his shoulders, bringing him in for a hug. Blaine gladly lets him, falling into his embrace. "You'll be okay," He comforts, rubbing his shoulder carefully.

  
"I want you here for it though,"

"No, I can't stick around you all the time," Cooper says, pulling apart from their hug.

  
"Yes, you can," Blaine chuckles, making Cooper smile.

  
"I'll be back in a couple months, okay?" Cooper promises, his smile growing. Blaine nods his head.

  
"You'll call, right?" He asks, worry starting to flood his body.

  
"I haven't let you down, yet? Have I? I made sure to call on Christmas, and I promise I'll call on Easter," He says, making Blaine smile and duck his head, feeling crazy for even thinking about that.

  
"Okay," Blaine says finally, a large smile growing on his face.

  
"Alright, now stand up and give me hug. If I don't leave now, I'll miss my flight," Cooper gets to his feet and opens his arms. Blaine chuckles, getting to his feet as well so Cooper can pull him in for a tight hug. Cooper squeezes him, rubbing his back.

  
"I love you, Squirt," Cooper whispers.

  
"Love you too, Coop," He says, taking in a deep, content breath. When they let go of each other, Cooper has tears starting in his eyes.

  
"Jesus, don't cry, Coop. You'll make me cry too," Blaine teases, wiping his eyes carefully already. Cooper shakes his head, apologizing under his breath as he does the same.

  
"Sorry, I can't help it. I don't wanna-" He pauses. "Miss anything," He finishes. Blaine's small smile disappears. He knows what he was going to say. "You'll be okay," he nods his head, making Blaine do the same, but not saying it back. They look at each other for a few more seconds before Cooper pats his arm and starts out the door. He pauses in the doorway, almost as if he was debating if he really wanted to leave or not, but he walks out anyway. Blaine plops himself back down on his bed, turning his head back towards Kurt to make sure he didn't wake, luckily, he didn't.

  
The former Warbler looks down at his hands. He didn't want Cooper to leave. Everytime he did, he was always scared it was going to be like the first time, just leaving him out to dry. All by himself.

  
He leans over, putting his heads in his hands, running a hand over his head, removing his beanie as he did so. He lets out a deep breath.

  
"Are you okay?" Kurt's groggy, morning voice is heard from beside him. Blaine picks his head up, looking towards his boyfriend. He nods his head slowly.

  
"Cooper left," He announces. Kurt pout his lower lip.

  
"I'm sorry, Honey. He'll come back soon enough," Kurt says, letting out a loud yawn. Blaine nods, laying back down, so he's the big spoon over his sore and miserable boyfriend.

"How you feeling?" Blaine asks, trying not to feel guilty when Kurt hisses slightly, rolling his neck painfully.

  
"Better than you," Kurt teases, making Blaine smile gently.

  
"I imagine," he says softly, pressing a soft kiss to one of the bruises on his temple. "Honestly, how are you?" His face turns serious for a few seconds.

  
"Everything hurts. I'm just really sore and my head is throbbing," He sighs, nuzzling his nose against Blaine's pillow. Blaine pulls him tighter to his chest.

  
"I'm sorry,"

  
"Don't be, you're not the idiot who can't drive," Kurt rolls his eyes.

  
"Stop that. Why must you blame yourself for everything. This is not your fault at all," Blaine comforts, letting his nose press against the back of his neck, kissing the skin softly.

  
"Well, if the roads weren't such idiots, I wouldn't have to borrow Finn's truck every time I come and see you and have to be home by nine instead of eleven," He rolls his eyes at himself. Blaine smiles gently.

  
"That's much better," He laughs, making Kurt doing the same, shaking his head.

  
"You're ridiculous," Kurt chuckles, bringing the hand Blaine has wound around his chest to his lips, them lingering over the pale skin.

  
"I know, but you love me anyway," Blaine replies, his grip tightening around his boyfriend.

 

 


	21. Chapter Twenty-One: Anniversary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another one! I did this one of the weekend because I felt bad for the last chapter because it was late. This one is basically just a little filler type thing, so I'm too impressed, but I still hope you enjoy this and if you do, don't forget to leave a kudos if you haven't already and leave a comment telling me what you thought. Honestly, your comments make my day and make it easier to write another chapter. Thank you and enjoy!

Mirrors were his worst enemy. They always just reminded him how sick he really was. It showed off his sunken in eyes and cheeks, his pale, weak stature, his bald head, the ugly, blatant feeding tube taped to his cheek, that made , and thinning body. Yet, he still found himself staring in the mirrors quite a lot.

  
This time he wasn't staring at his body and thinking of it as sick, but this time he was looking at his chest with his sweatshirt pulled up to reveal the pasty skin. He could care less about anything else in the mirror.

  
He hisses slightly when he touches the large red spot stretching from his left nipple, all the way down to the bottom of his very visible rib cage, the ribs poking out.  
"Jesus," He groans. "Where did this come from?" He brings his fingertips to it lightly, but hisses as soon as he does. That was stupid. "It hurts like a bitch," He says through his teeth, shaking his head.

  
"Blaine?!" Kurt's voice wafts through the door, followed by footsteps.

  
"In here," Blaine calls back, looking at the way the red was lighter on the outside, almost pink, but the inside filled with dark reds and pinks. The darker spots are what hurt the most.

  
"Hey, whatcha doin'?" Kurt asks, leaning on the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest, obviously not seeing the burn yet. Kurt's bruises were fading rather quickly, the only things that were still visible were a few bruises on his jawline, the cut on his forehead and the one on his cheek. He looked a lot better than he did, but he still hated it. So did Kurt, because he didn't look his best and did get stares and worried questions every once in awhile, but they couldn't be helped because it wasn't faint enough to cover up with make-up yet.

  
"I'm burnt," Blaine replies, studying the skin that was starting to peel like a sunburn, the red sticking out bright against his new pale complexion.

  
"What? Burnt?" Kurt walks in further, his brows furrowed, and Blaine turns his body so Kurt can see it too.

  
"Jesus!" He gasps, covering his mouth.

  
"That's what I said!" Blaine replies. Kurt scrunches his brows together, reaching fingers out to touch the colored skin. Blaine jumps back a little at his touch.

  
"It hurts!" He rolls his eyes, making Kurt's face crunch.

  
"I'm sorry. These are probably the burns from radiation today," Kurt says, examining it carefully. "You did have radiation today, right?"

  
"Shit, I forgot about those. God, it hurts like hell. I had radiaiton all week," He shifts on his feet, looking at it in the mirror again.

  
"It looks like it," Kurt says, going into the small closet in the far left corner of the bathroom, searching for something important.

  
"I didn't think they'd be this bad," Blaine remarks, turning to get a different angle. "What are you looking for?" Blaine turns around to his boyriend, letting his shirt fall loosely against his skin, hissing as the fabric touches the burn.

  
"The cream Damien gave you last week," Kurt says. "Aha!" he exclaims, finding what he's looking for. He gets up from his crouching position and joining his boyfriend in the mirror. "This should help, do you want me to do it or do you wanna do it yourself?" He unscrews the cap on the small, circular container, and sets it beside the sink.

  
"You," Blaine says, lifting up his shirt once more to reveal the dark burn. Kurt can't help the slight twinge of pink start on his cheeks and lips curl into a light smile, hoping Blaine misses it. Kurt loved it when Blaine would depend on him like this. He digs his fingers into the white colored cream, waiting for Blaine to get situated and raise his shirt.

  
"Ready?" He asks, his smile disappearing. Blaine nods a little, gripping at the edge of the sink, waiting for Kurt to start. Kurt takes in a deep breath before letting his fingers touch the red skin, smearing the lotion into his skin.

  
"Ow, ow, ow," Blaine hisses, his breathing coming out in sharp intakes.

  
"I'm sorry, Honey," Kurt clenches his jaw, hating to cause him pain.

  
"It's fine," Blaine takes a deep breath, letting Kurt do his thing.

  
"How bad is it?" Kurt asks, his fingertips light and barely on his skin, scared to hurt him anymore.

  
"It feels like I've just been slapped with a hot frying pan," Blaine says taking in a deep breath as Kurt's fingers touched a very sensitive spot in the middle.

  
"Awe, my poor baby," Kurt coos, pouting his bottom lip, his eyebrows scrunched together with worry and concern. "Just a few more minutes and you'll be finished," He announces, getting some more cream on his fingertips.

  
"God, I would rather have chemo than this. This thing is bigger than my head. It's huge. And painful," He complains, rolling his eyes and holding his breath as Kurt dabs a little bit at the injury. Kurt sighs heavily, feeling horrible for his boyfriend, hating how this was going. Kurt's finger slips and the next thing he knows, Blaine is yelping loudly, pulling back from his boyfriend's touch.

"I am so sorry! It slipped," Kurt apologizes, his eyes going wide. Blaine goans, his face contorting with pain.

  
"Okay, we're done. I'm not doing this. I'll just let it go. I'll let it heal on his own," He goes to pull his shirt back down, but Kurt wouldn't let him.

  
"Honey, you'll feel better afterwards, please. Let me finish," He begs, putting his hand over his and squeezing tightly. Blaine whimpers, using his best pouting face that Kurt couldn't help but smile at. "Please, just let me rub what's already on in," They stare at each other for a few more minutes, before Blaine finally gives in, pulling his shirt back up and allowing Kurt to continue his job.

  
"Fine," He says, elongating the 'I' as long as he possible could, which he always did when he was annoyed or upset. Kurt smiles a little at his voice, rubbing his fingers gently over the burn, letting the cooling cream cover the red skin.

  
"See, you're almost done," Kurt says, getting the last bit of white rubbed in. "And you're done," He stands straight up again, grabbing the lid from beside the sink faucet. "Should we put a bandage on it? Should I get Damien?" Kurt asks, furrowing his brow, with worry.

  
"I have no clue," Blaine shakes his head, shrugging his shoulders. He lets out a deep breath, leaning heavily on the sink, rolling his neck.

  
"I'll go ask," Kurt pops the lotion back into the cupboard and starts to wash his hands, getting the cream off because it was sticky.

  
"Okay," Blaine nods, slowly sitting down on the toilet lid. Kurt quickly rinses his hands off and hurries out the door to get to the nurse's station, but no before pressing a quick kiss to Blaine's lips. Blaine leans back, running his hands over his head. He had skipped the beanie today, which wasn't very uncommon anymore. He just got too lazy and when he would take naps or lie down, which is how he spent most of his time, it would fall off. So, sometimes he would just skip the hat entirely. He rubs his hands over his thighs, letting out a deep breath.

  
It didn't take long for Kurt to come back with a large bandage in hand.

  
"He said to put this on it," Kurt says, opening up the package for it and waiting for Blaine to raise his shirt once more.

  
"What is this suppose to do?" Blaine asks, slowly getting his shirt up to reveal the burn once more, this time glistening with the cream.

  
"It's suppose to help lock in moisture and keep it from rubbing on anything," He replies, laying the bandage over the burn. Blaine rolls his eyes. "What was that for?" Kurt chuckles, pulling Blaine's shirt back down and tossing the wrappings in the trash can.

  
"Nothing," Blaine shakes his head. "Oh, and Kurt?"

  
"Yes?" Kurt says, a bright smile on his face as he spins back around to face his boyfriend.

  
"Happy anniversary," He smiles, tugging on the countertenor's hand to give him a kiss. Kurt chuckles.

  
"Happy anniversary, Baby," He smiles back, pecking his lips once more and squeezing his hand tightly. "Two years. Two years spent with the love of my life," Blaine grins at that.

  
"You are so cheesy," Blaine smiles, pulling the boy into his lap. Kurt chuckles, wrapping his arms around his neck, careful not to put all his weight on him. "But, I love you anyway," He nuzzles his nose against Kurt's, causing the boy to giggle.

  
"I love you too," He smiles, capturing his lips in another kiss. "Now, come on. I got you something,"

  
"Kurt!" Blaine groans, rolling his eyes at his boyfriend.

  
"No, this one is serious," Kurt says his smile disappearing as he tugs Blaine off the toilet lid and back into his room. Blaine sighs heavily, letting Kurt pull him off reluctantly. The former Warbler plops down on the couch, bringing his knees up to his chest, already reaching for the blanket Kurt got him for Valentine's Day. That blanket quickly became his favorite. It didn't take more than a couple of hours for him to fall in love with it.

  
Kurt searches through his bag for a few seconds before pulling something out, hiding it behind his back.

  
"Kurt, what's going on?" Blaine scrunches his brow, setting his hands in his lap and trying not to groan when he rubs the burn on his side.

  
"Be patient," Kurt playfully rolls his eyes, taking a seat beside his boyfriend. Blaine pushes some blanket into his own lap, a small, amused smile on his face.

  
"Okay, okay," he chuckles lightly, putting his elbow on the back side of the couch, turning to face the beautiful boy in front of him.

  
"Close your eyes,"

  
"What?" Blaine cocks his head to the side.

 

"You heard me!" Kurt laughs, nodding towards the boy. "Close your eyes and open your hand,"

  
"Alright, alright," He nods, shutting his eyes and holding out his left palm right side up.

  
"Now, I know you already gave me one of these, but this is real. A real one that I want you to wear all the time, you just have to accept it," Kurt says, putting a small box into his hand. Blaine scrunches his brow, feeling the velvet texture with his thumb.

  
"Kurt?" Blaine's face falls, opening his eyes, even if Kurt didn't tell him to. A small, red velvet box sat in his hand. It was a ring box. "Are you proposing? I think you already know my answer,"

  
"No, you Goon," Kurt playfully rolls his eyes, slapping his shoulder playfully. Blaine smiles, opening the box up. As expected a silver band was sitting in it. His face falls, love filling his eyes.

  
"Kurt," He breathes, sucking in a deep breath.

  
"It's a promise ring," Kurt says, his smile moving up to his eyes instead of his lips. Blaine picks it out from the box, examining it closely. Writing was engraved on the inside.

  
"Courage B"

  
"It's beautiful," Blaine repeats, looking up his boyfriend, love filling his eyes.

  
"I got myself one too," He says pulling out from his shirt a silver chain, with an identical ring hanging from it. Blaine takes a deep breath, before pulling the boy in for a kiss. It's soft and sweet, but not short. Blaine takes a deep breath through the kiss, his brow furrowing with concentration. Kurt does the same, bringing a hand up to cup his cheek carefully, rubbing at the skin with his thumb, careful not to jostle his feeding tube. The tenor opens the other boy's mouth with his own, his tongue running across Kurt's teeth, waiting for access, which he of course grants.

  
They fight for domiance, Kurt eventually giving up, but putting up a good fight. Blaine wraps his arms Kurt's neck pulling him as close as he can get in this position. They only pull apart when Blaine runs out of energy. His eyes are still shut when they come up from the kiss, their foreheads resting against each other's.

  
"You're amazing, Blaine," Kurt says, leaning in to peck his cheek briefly with his red and kiss swollen lips.

  
"I love you so much, Kurt. More than you can even fathom," Blaine says his voice just above a whisper. Kurt can't help the small smile that grazes his lips, pressing another kiss to his cheek, letting it linger over the skin.

  
"Now, I bought you a chain too," Kurt pulls back from his boyfriend, giving his hand one last squeeze before getting to his feet and hurrying back over to his bag, rifling through it. Blaine smiles, watching him go through it, a large grin on his face. He sits back in his seat against he couch, running his fingertips over his lips, loving the feeling of them, knowing that he had just kissed the hell out of his boyfriend.

  
Soon, Kurt is coming back to his boyfriend, sitting beside him and this time holding a silver chain, identical to his own. Blaine slips it onto the chain and puts it over his head, letting it hang over his chest.

  
"I love this. I love it so much and I love you," Blaine slides his hands into Kurt's squeezing them tightly.

  
"I love you too," Kurt says back, as Blaine brings his knuckles up to his lips, his lips grazing over the porcelain skin.

  
"Kurt, these past two years have been the best of my life," He starts, taking in a deep breath.

  
"Blaine-"

  
"No, I wanna tell you this," he nods his head, his face full of love for the older boy sitting in front of him. "They've been a hell of ride, but I wouldn't have it any other way. We started with me taking care of you, protecting you because you needed me and I wanted to be there for you. When I started having feelings for you, I just thought it was because I wanted to be your friend, but it was so much more than that. It was because I wanted to be with you. I wanted to have Friday nights together watching movies and going to football games and I wanted to spend Saturday mornings making breakfast and dancing around in the kitchen, and wake up cuddling together. Now, I get to do that. We've done all of those things and it's all I could ever want. Then everything happened with my dad, finding out about us, him freaking out. I spent an entire week at your house because I was too scared to go by myself, but I eventually did and you went with me. Luckily he wasn't there, but you were still there with me, no matter what," He pauses to smile at his boyfriend, tears starting in his eyes.

  
"Then I found out I had cancer and most people would have run away, terrified, but you didn't. You stayed right beside me. You were there when my dad threatened you, when my mom left me, when I had got my feeding tube, when I got my port, my first day of chemo. You were here for everything and I can't even express to you how thankful I am to you. I just love you so much, so, so much," He says searching Kurt's blue eyes, not for anything in particular, but just because he loves them so much. He gets lost in them so often that that's nothing new anymore.

  
"You're not just my boyfriend, you're my bestfriend, my soulmate, the love of my life, the only person I wanna wake up with and go to bed with. You're my rock, you're my everything and I don't know what I would do without you," He admits, tears starting in his eyes. "I love you so, so much,"

  
"I love you too," Kurt chuckles, his voice thick with emotion and very quiet, almost as if it wasn't there at all.

  
"I just hope and pray to a God that I don't believe in, that everything will be okay and that I'll be able to spend the rest of my life with you, because I am hopelessly devoted to you, forever," Blaine says, leaning over to press his forehead against Kurt's.

  
"You mean everything to me, B," Kurt says back to him, press a sweet kiss to his lips. Not like the last one, just a brief, closed mouth one, but it was still filled with love and passion. Blaine smiles, suddenly feeling like a school girl with way too many emotions, blushing like one too.

  
Blaine wraps him in for a tight hug, hiding his face in the crook of his neck, taking in the scent that could only be described as home. The hold each other like that for minutes, Kurt just rubbing Blaine's back carefully, his fingertips grazing the back of his hoodie and Blaine trying to ignore the pain on his chest from the burn, but none of it mattered, because he was in Kurt's arms and that's all that mattered anymore.

  
Kurt was the one to pull back first, a bright, but emotional smile on his face.

  
"I'm sorry I didn't get you anything," Blaine says, reaching up to brush a few hairs behind the boy's ear that had fallen out during their hug. Kurt smiles, shaking his head.  
"I don't care about that, not one bit. You're here and we're here together. That's all that matters," he says simply, searching Blaine's eyes for something. For what, Blaine didn't know, but it made him fallen in love with him all over again.

  
"I swear every time I look at you, I fall in love again and again. I can never get sick of looking into those beautiful blue eyes of yours," Blaine smirks, running the pad of his thumb across his cheek. Kurt's cheeks turn a light pink.

  
"You're ridiculous,"

  
"I mean it," Blaine's face turns serious once more. "Every single word," Blaine nods his head in reassurance, pecking his lips briefly. Kurt smiles into it, attacking his lips once more. Kurt giggles at the boy in front of him.

  
"You know you can never take this off, right?" Kurt asks, pulling back and playing with the ring between his fingers. Blaine chuckles, looking down at it as well.

  
"I don't plan to, no matter what. They'll have to rip it from my cold, dead hands," Blaine teases, making Kurt smile. They both pull back the rest of the way sitting back in their seats.

  
"So, since we can't go out for dinner and then go home and have hot sex like we originally planned, what do you wanna do for our two year anniversary?" Kurt asks, lacing their fingers together. Blaine smiles, squeezing his hands tightly.

  
"Ugh! Don't remind me!" He groans, throwing his head back in fake annoyance. Kurt smiles, hanging his head down. "I don't know what we should do, but I will say that there is Project Runway marathon on tonight," He suggests, bringing Kurt's hand up to his mouth, pressing soft kisses to the skin. Kurt's eyes light up.

  
"I think that sounds like a great idea!" He exclaims. Blaine nods towards his bed where the remote sat. Kurt happily goes to get it as Blaine gets comfortable. Kurt tosses him a couple pillows and Blaine sets them behind him at the end of the couch. Kurt plops himself back down, switching the TV on and sitting himself between Blaine's legs, resting against his chest, leaning heavily on his right side, rather than his left, due to the burn there.

  
As Kurt searches through the TV guide for the channel, Blaine wraps his arms around his waist, pulling him flush to his chest, letting his chin rest on his shoulder. Kurt's smile grows at the sight of the channel, clicking on it and curling into his boyfriend, draping the blanket over both their laps.

  
It wasn't how they originally wanted to spend their two year anniversary, but they were together and that's all that mattered. They'd make up for it in New York.

 

-0-

 

"Are you sure you don't want to come with me?" Blaine asks, slipping the hoodie over his head. Kurt tosses his magazine down on the couch, sighing heavily and watching his boyfriend get dressed and put on a pair of shoes.

  
"No, it's okay. My dad wants me home for dinner anyway," Kurt says, a small smile on his face.

  
"Are you a hundred percent sure?" Blaine asks, plopping down beside his boyfriend, and taking his hands in his own, giving him his best pouting face he can possibly muster up. Kurt chuckles, hanging his head.

 

"Yeah, I'm sure," Kurt smiles, leaning over to press a chaste kiss to his boyfriend's lip. "You have fun though,"

  
"I don't know how much fun this is going to be. I think it's just going to be really depressing," Blaine scoffs, pulling back, their fingers still laced together. "I mean it could happen any day now," Blaine says quietly. Kurt's face falls, looking down at their conjoined hands. "It's scary," He breathes. Kurt doesn't know what to say, so he doesn't say anything at all. "Okay, I'm gonna be late," Blaine squeezes Kurt's hand tightly before letting go completley. He gets to his feet and Kurt follows. Blaine grabs his phone from the bed, tucking it into his pocket. Kurt lets out a deep breath, wrapping his arms around Blaine's neck.

  
"I better go too," he says, his smile brightening being able to look in Blaine's eyes like this. It just lit up his day everytime. The honey color was mesmorizing.

  
"I'll see you tomorrow?"

  
"Yeah, I don't have anything going on, so I'll probably be here before you wake up, you know considering you don't wake up until noon," He jokes, making Blaine smile and hang his head down. He wasn't wrong. He was just exhausted all the time anymore.

  
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow," Blaine says, leaning in to peck his lips carefully, which Kurt gratefully accepts.

  
"Try to have fun. Don't think about this all too much, alright?" He says furrowing his brow with concern. Blaine nods his head reluctantly, his smile fading.

  
"I'll try," He promises, planting another quick kiss to his lips before the broke up, both heading out the door, hand in hand.

  
Blaine walks with him as far as he possibly can before he came upon the entertainment room where everyone already was. They both stop, their hands not wanting to let go.  
"Drive safe, please," Blaine begs, his face falling flat, pulling the boy in close. He runs his thumb over the cut on his cheek that was fading away.

  
"I will," He nods. Ever since the car accident, Blaine has been super protective over his boyfriend, especially when it came to driving. He hated saying goodbye, there were still a few patches of ice left on the road from their long winter and he didn't know if Kurt would get so lucky next time.

  
"I'll be safe, alright? I promise," He nods his head, giving Blaine a small smile, which reluctantly, he returns.

  
"Okay," With that, Blaine leans forward, letting his lips linger over Kurt's before pressing them together for a closed mouth kiss. "I love you," He breathes, letting his thumb brush against a yellowing bruise on his temple.

  
"You know I do," Kurt smiles, which Blaine returns. Kurt pecks his lips once more before squeezing his hands and turning out for the door. Blaine stick his hands in his pockets, watching him turn the corner for the exit.

  
"Woah, you look like you got hit by a truck, what happened?" Lincoln teases from inside the room. Blaine's torn from his worried thoughs, hanging his head down, a small smile on his face.

  
"No, just worried about him is all," Blaine sighs, his smile faltering slightly as he comes through the door to join everyone.

 

"What? He's driven by himself before, right?"

  
"Yeah, but last week he got into a car accident. God, he looked terrible and that's coming from me. He's still a little sore," He says, his shoulders deflating.

  
"Oh, I didn't know," Lincoln says, his face falling. Blaine shrugs.

  
"He's okay and that's all that matters," He says, looking back from Lincoln to take in the room. Beside the group, it was empty.

  
Sadie was now in a wheelchair, which was new, and was sitting at one of the tables, an IV bag connected to her arm and going up to hang on the chair. She looked worse than the last time he saw her, which is really saying something considering she looked horrible the last time. She just looks deflated this time. Her shoulders slumped over and her eyes drooping from lack of sleep. Cancer took everything from her.

  
Everyone else was sitting around the table, Marcus to her left and Josie to her right. Josie must have come back for this. She moved out on Monday, but this was an important date, so it wasn't a surprise that she had come back. She looked happier, brighter even, which is rare for her. She was already a bright and bubbly person.

  
"Hey, Blaine," Marcus greets, giving the boy a bright smile.

  
"Hey," Blaine says, shoving his hands inside his pockets as he comes in, Lincoln beside him.

  
"How are you?" Marcus asks. "Pull up a chair,"

  
"I'm tired is all," Blaine shrugs, sitting himself at the piano bench, seeing as there wasn't a seat close enough left. He folds his hands in his lap, giving his therapist a small smile.

  
"How about Kurt? I heard what happened," he says, his face falling with concern.

  
Right. He had forgotten about Marcus's accident.

  
"He's fine. We're lucky it was only a few bruises. He's sore, but he'll be alright. I worry like crazy though," Blaine admits, rubbing his hands over his thighs carefully.

  
"Damien was like that. When I started driving again, he would have me call to make sure I got everywhere safely and if he could help it, he would drive me himself," A smile appears on his features remembering that. It just blew Blaine's mind that he could still smile after all the pain that accident has caused him.

  
"I want to. All I want is to be able to drive him everywhere, even if it was just to go grocery shopping," He sighs, running a nervous hand over the top of his head. Marcus reaches over, putting a comforting hand on his knee.

  
"You'll be alright," he gives the boy a wink and a small smile. Blaine nods his head in return, appreciating having Marcus here for them like this. Marcus was just an incredible person like that.

  
"Hey Sadie," Blaine smiles at the girl when she turns away from her conversation with Leo and Aaron.

  
"What's up?" She grins. It still amazed him that at a time like this she was smiling. "Hey, don't look so somber. It is a celebration after all," She adds, a small smirk now playing on her lips. Blaine returns one.

  
"Yeah, it is. Congratulations, Sadie,"

  
Her face falls instantly looking at her hands. Uh oh. Did he say something wrong? What are you supposed to say to someone at something like this. She had made it past her three months. Today was D-day, but she made it passed that. What was he suppose to say to her? I'm glad you're not dead? I'm glad you can still move around?

  
"Thank you," She says kindly, making Blaine's head snap up and his shoulders relax. So, he didn't say anything wrong. Blaine nods his head, giving her a bright smile.

  
"Alright, now that everyone's here, we got you a little something," Marcus says, a bright smile on his face. Sadie's face turns bright pink, the red creeping up on her neck.

Marcus gets to his feet, and walks out the door for a few seconds, but when he comes back, he's holding a large gift basket topped with light lavender bow on the top.

  
Last week, Blaine remembers talking with everyone else in the group about chipping in and getting the girl something nice. Blaine had no problem giving Marcus some of the cash his mother had given him. It's not like he could go out and spend it anyway and it's not like he really wanted to. The cash just kind of sat in his nightstand, and whenever he opened it, he couldn't help but feel a large stone of guilt settle in the bottom of his stomach.

  
"You guys didn't have to," Sadie says weakly, reaching out a shaking hand to grab it from Marcus's grasp, but Marcus ignores it and instead puts it on the table in front of her.   
"We wanted to. This is something to celebrate. You're defying the odds," Leo says nudging her shoulder softly, making the girl smile. She opens the purple wrapping, but ends up having to have Marcus help beacause she was just too weak to get some of the tape off. Marcus silently curses himself for doing that. He didn't even think about it.

  
The dark basket was just filled with everything you'd need in order to be comfortable. Mint scented lotions, candles, fuzzy socks, sugar-free chocolate, soft beanie hats, brand new movies that had just come out, and even a good book. He really had thought of everything possible.

  
"Just to make these next few weeks as comfortable as possible," Lincoln says, reaching over to put a hand over hers. Sadie nods.

  
"Thank you," She says, her eyes starting to tear up. There really wasn't a dry eye in the place. This was worse than what happened with Miles because they were all scared for her. Scared that it would hurt that she would be in pain. "Really, thank you," She repeats, squeezing Lincoln's hand tightly. Blaine could tell that all of this was taking her energy out otherwise she would have said something sassy, but she just looked too exhausted to do anything about it or change it.

  
"Blaine, can I ask you something?" Sadie says, looking up at the boy briefly. Blaine's eyes go wide, not knowing what to say, but he nods quickly.

  
"Yeah, of course," He says.

 

"Do you play piano?"

  
"Yeah, why?" Blaine scrunches his brows together with confusion.

  
"Well, you always brag about being singer and I've never heard you sing yet," She shrugs.

  
"Oh, right. Do you want me to sing?" He asks, pulling his head back with a little uncertainty.

  
"Why else would I ask?" She manages a chuckle. Blaine's cheeks turn a bright red.

  
"Is there anything you want to hear?" Blaine asks, taking a deep breath.

  
"No, just something beautiful," She says, nodding her head back at him. Blaine nods his head once more, spinning around in his seat to face the piano.

  
"Okay, just uh-give me a sec," He puts his shaking fingers over the keys. He's only ever played this once and that was with Cooper, but that was months ago. He plays the keys a little, trying to find what he was looking for. "I don't know how well this will sound, I-"

  
"Play the damn piano, Blaine," Lincoln chuckles. Blaine's face flushes. He clears his throat out, and sucks in a deep breath.

  
_"Guys like you and me_   
_We're just the losers_   
_Who keep waiting to be seen, right?_   
_I mean no one seems to care_   
_Or stops to notice that we're there_   
_So we get lost in the in-between"_

  
His voice is soft, hesitant even. He just needed to get into it. He was nervous. It's been months since he's sang to anyone but Kurt and has sang anywhere but his own room. Plus, this was for people he really cares about. A dying girl, one of his friends, asked him to do this. He can't mess this up.

_"If you can somehow keep them thinking of me_   
_And make me more than an abandoned memory_   
_Well that means we matter too_   
_It means someone will see that you are there]_   
_Even if you've always been that_   
_Barely-in-the-background kind of guy_   
_You still matter"_

  
His voice starts to raise. This is just what he needed, to get into it. Everyone was watching him intently, with emotion. Sadie was already crying, latching onto Lincoln's hand, not letting it from her grasp.

  
_"And even if you're somebody who can't escape the feeling_   
_That the world's passed you by_   
_You still matter_   
_If you never get around to doing some remarkable thing_   
_That doesn't mean_   
_That you're not worth remembering"_

  
Leo was holding Josie's hand, both leaning heavily on each other, just in awe of Blaine's performance. He truly was amazing at what he did.

  
_"They need to know_   
_I need to show them_   
_No one deserves to be forgotten_   
_No one deserves to fade away_   
_To fade away_   
_No one should flicker out or have any doubt_   
_That it matters that they are here"_

  
His voice falls soft, placing himself back into his seat. This song was emotional and he was emotional. All the time.

  
_"When you're falling in a forest_   
_And there's nobody around_   
_All you want is for somebody to find you_   
_When you're falling in a forest_   
_And when you hit the ground_   
_All you need is for somebody to find you"_

  
Blaine hits the keys softly, his head turning every once in awhile. This is what he loved to do, no matter who it was for. He just needed to get lost in the song, get himself into it. Marcus discreetly rubs at his eye, turning to Aaron and giving him a small smile, which Aaron returns.

  
_"'Cause no one deserves to be forgotten_   
_No one deserves to fade away_   
_To disappear, disappear_   
_To disappear_   
_Disappear"_

  
He finishes the song with a small smile, hoping to hit the right keys on the last note, luckily he did. He didn't turn around when everyone started clapping, for him. He was breathing heavily. A song like that shouldn't do that to him, but cancer has him whipped all the time.

  
"Rusty my ass," Sadie chuckles, not even bothering to wipe away her tears.

  
"That was amazing, Blaine," Marcus says, patting the boy on the shoulder. Blaine smiles nodding his head with gratitude, finally turning to look at the group.

  
"Thank you," He says.

  
"I didn't know you could sing like that. I just thought you were being cocky," Lincoln chuckles, a bright smile on his face, but tears still in his eyes. Blaine ducks his head, his cheeks turning a light pink.

  
"Thank you," He repeats.

  
"No, thank you. Not just you, but everyone. For everything. For this, for being there every week to hear my sap story. For staying with me no matter what, for being great friends and just being great people. Thank you guys, for everything. It means the world to me," She says, her voice choking on tears. Everyone turns solemn, looking down at their hands.

  
"Don't thank us. We wanted to," Blaine speaks up, swallowing the large lump in his throat. Sadie nods, giving him a small smile.

  
Marcus is the one who started it. Wrapping her in a tight hug, which led to Lincoln doing the same, and the next they knew it was a large group hug around Sadie's wheelchair. There wasn't a dry eye, everyone was crying because it was too soon. It was all too soon.

 

-0-

 

"I swear, I would kill to go see him in concert one more time," Blaine shakes his head, bobbing his head to the Michael Jackson song playing through his phone speaker. Kurt laughs, looking up at his boyfriend from his place lying on his chest, careful not to bother his port where it was connected to an IV and lying on his right side, still trying to avoid the burn from last week, even if Blaine said it no longer hurt, he got another small one right below it.

  
"So would I," Kurt sighs, shaking his head.

  
"I mean, once you think about it, we're already going to hell for being gay, why not just add something to it and get to see Michael Jackson again?" Blaine teases, making Kurt shake his head.

  
"You amaze me sometimes," Kurt jokes, wrapping his arm around Blaine's waist tightly. Blaine smiles wrapping his arm around his boyfriend's shoulders, pulling him tighter to his chest. "I can't even listen to some of those songs because of Michael week in Glee club," Kurt admits, shaking his head.

  
"What? No, not even getting slushied in the eye, feeling some of the worst pain in my life and having to have surgery on my cornea could stop me from listening to 'Bad',"   
"Of course it wouldn't," Kurt shakes his head playfully, rolling his eyes at his boyfriend. Blaine laughs, shaking his head and squeezing the boy closer to himself, pressing a quick kiss to the top of his auburn colored head. A knock on the door makes them both look up. Damien was standing there dressed in his usual scrubs and holding a large brown package.

  
"Is it already time to change it out?" Blaine asks, furrowing his brow and checking the clock beside his bed.

  
"No, but a little blonde girl dropped this off for you today," Damien says dropping the package onto Blaine's chest, making Blaine smile. He sits up and Kurt pulls away from him so they can sit up.

  
"Was she wearing a cheerleading uniform?" Blaine asks, raising one eyebrow.

  
"Yeah, she was. Glasses, yeah, that's her," Damien nods.

  
"Becky Jackson?" Kurt furrows his brow. Blaine hesitantly opens the package, pulling back as soon as it's open, expecting some kind of surprise, but no, nothing happens. Damien laughs at the pair.

  
"What were you expecting?" He asks, shaking his head. "She seemed nice enough, sweet even," Damien shrugs.

  
"It's not her, it's who she serves. Sue Sylvester," Blaine says. "Also, Becky is not as nice as she seems. She calls me 'Gay Blaine'," The nurse cocks his head to the side with disbelief.

  
"Yeah, Sue's kind of a monster. She's the cheerleading coach at McKinley and she's a handful," Kurt sighs heavily. "While yes, she's good at what she does, she can be intolerable sometimes,"

  
"She just let Dave get away like that, when he was obviously hurting you. There was no excuse. He should have been out of there as soon as it happened, but no, 'there was no proof' bullcrap, he-"

  
"Blaine," Kurt puts a hand over his chest, his eyes soft. Damien looks between the two, feeling as if he's intruding on something special between the two. "Please, it's over. It's done with," Kurt shakes his head.

  
"It's really not, he still-"

  
"Blaine, please," Kurt begs again, giving his boyfriend his best puppy dog face. Blaine rolls his eyes, but nods anyway.

  
"Fine," He sighs.

  
"Thank you," Kurt breathes. "Alright, what's in the box?" He asks, opening one of the flaps open.

  
"I'll leave you two alone," Damien gives the boy a small smile, rubbing Kurt's shoulder, making the boys smile. With that, the man leaves the couple alone to look through the mysterious box.

  
"There's a note on top," Blaine announces, pulling out the piece of white paper.

 

_"Dear young Burt Reynolds,_

  
_It's come to my attention that you're not only mentally sick, but now you're physically sick with a load of crap that God has pooped down on your head like a rabid baboon. I don't understand why you're so upset, because really, you're finally out of that Glee Club and will no longer to listen to that horrible hobbit sing another rendition of 'Run Joey Run'. I would be celebrating that's for sure. Anyway, I do know what it's like to be sick and have done some research because as my new role as principal, I'm suppose to care about students, so I put together a little something to keep you from getting too out of wack, because you do have a nice body for being a Cheerio!. Enjoy all this crap I guess, because I didn't just waste my time doing this._

  
_Yours truly,_

  
_Coach Sue Sylvester"_

  
"Wow, I think that was one of the most endearing things I have ever seen from her in my life," Kurt says, nodding his head.

  
"Yeah, me too," Blaine agrees, setting the letter down and opening up the box the rest of the way, looking through the things inside. He pulls out the first thing. "A smoothie cup. Why does this not surprise me?" Blaine chuckles, admiring the WMHS design on the front. Kurt smiles, taking it from his hands and looking at it himself.

  
Next was a few protein smoothie mixes of all different flavors, with a note attached.

  
"Chemo wears you out and you need to be at your best to take it,"

  
Blaine can't help but feel his heart warm a little at that. Her thinking like this is incredibly sweet, nothing he would ever expect from Sue Sylvester.

  
"Bald isn't cute," Blaine reads the note attached to the small stack of beanies of all different colors aloud. Kurt rolls his eyes.

  
"I think your bald head it adorable," Kurt smiles, leaning forward to press a loud, smacking kiss against the top of his head, making Blaine laugh loudly as he pulled out the next item.

  
"Neither is bad breath," Blaine rolls his eyes at the note that came with the mint and the gum packages. He shakes that one off, pulling out something else.

  
"Your brain is already slow, might as well keep it this way instead of letting it get worse," That one was attached to a package of pens and a book of suduko. Blaine shakes his head, putting it with the other things before pulling out one of the last few items.

  
"Queasy pops?" Blaine pulls out the light blue box with confusion.

  
"Oh my god, Quinn would suck on these things all the time when she was pregnant with Beth," Kurt smiles lightly at the memory.

  
"What? I'm not pregnant," He chuckles.

  
"You better not be," Kurt rolls his eyes at his boyfriend. "They're meant to settle stomachs. They helped with stomach aches when I was a little boy too," He recalls. "I used to beg my mom to give me one, even when I didn't have an upset stomach," Kurt shakes his head. Blaine smiles brightly.

  
"This isn't just a stomach ache though," Blaine says solemnly.

  
"No, but it may help when you feel nauseas or a little sick," Kurt replies, putting a hand on the boy's knee. Blaine nods his head carefully, looking over the package.

  
"They even has grape," Blaine points out, making Kurt giggle and shake his head.

  
"You're ridiculous," He laughs. Blaine smiles back at him, setting the box down and pulling the last item out from the bottom of the box.

  
"Some cream," Blaine says with a furrowed brow, looking at the small, circular package. Kurt rolls his eyes, snatching it from his hands. It was foreign to him anyway.

  
"It's meant to help with scars and stuff. For after your surgery, for the radiation burns, that kind of thing," Kurt smiles, handing it back to him.

  
"Oh," Blaine says simply, turning the package in his hand. Kurt nods. "I wouldn't have guessed it, but there is a bear on the package, so I'm sold," Blaine shrugs, pointing out the small brown bear on the front. Kurt shakes his head with laughter.

  
"That's because it's made with real honey, honey," Blaine laughs at his boyfriend's joke, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to the boy's lips. Kurt giggles, wrapping his arms around the boy's neck to press another one to his lips. "Honey," He whispers, making Blaine laugh again, Kurt feeling the vibrations, rubbing their noses together before pulling apart. Blaine looks around the bed, now filled with small gifts from the cheerleading coach.

  
"This is all oddly sweet of her," Blaine says, his eyes wide.

  
"Yeah, it is," Kurt nods in agreement, a small smile appearing on his lips as he looks around the bed as well.

  
"What does she have up her sleeve?"

  
"Hopefully nothing. I honestly just think that this is all out of the kindness of her heart," Kurt admits, crossing his arms over his chest. "I think she reached deep, deep, deep down into her black heart and realized this was a rough time and wanted to make you feel better,"

  
"Yeah, maybe," He sighs heavily, shaking his head. "I hope so,"

  
As they were putting things back and shuffling it all around, a loud knock started on the door, followed by a few voices.

  
"Room service," Nick says in a fake girl's voice. Blaine scrunches his brow, looking up at the group. A large grin appears on his face after seeing who it was.

  
Nick and Jeff were up front, with Wes and David beside them. Trent and Thad were behind them as well. All of them crowded in the doorway and for once, not wearing their blazers.

  
"Oh my god! Hey!" Blaine exclaims, getting to his feet to wrap the first couple into a hug, pulling his stand with him. Kurt does the same only to Wes and David.

  
"Hey! How's it going?" Wes smiles, patting Blaine's back carefully, trying not to jostle him too much. He knew he was weak and he didn't feel like making him feel even worse than normal.

  
"Jesus it's been forever since I've seen you guys," Blaine chuckles, standing back with his hands stuck into his pockets, and his IV stand beside him.

  
"Since exams," Trent says, a bright smile on his face. He crosses his arms over his dark grey turtleneck, nodding his head.

  
"How'd those go by the way?"

  
"Nick barely made it with a B-, otherwise he would never get to see the light of day again. Your parents would lock you in the basement, or send you to public school," Jeff teases, putting a hand on the said boy's shoulder blade, rubbing gently. Nick flushes a deep shade of pink, shaking his head.

  
"As long as I got the report card before my parents did, I could change the F or the D to a B," Nick shrugs, putting his hands in his hoodie pockets, a flustered smirk on his face. "It worked last year,"

  
"If you actually applied yourself instead of screwing around, you wouldn't have that problem," Jeff says, raising one blonde eyebrow higher than the other at his boyfriend.   
"Now how can I focus when you're sitting next to me?" Nick says, reaching up to grab one of Jeff's hands from his jean pocket and lace them together. Jeff rolls his eyes, as does everyone else.

  
"Ew, get a room," Blaine shakes his head at the pair, crossing his arms over his chest. Nick holds up his pointer finger to plant a soft, lingering kiss on Jeff's lips. Jeff chuckles into it, pecking his lips once more.

  
"Oh my God," Thad rolls his eyes at the couple. "Anyway, how are things going?" He asks his face turning serious for a few seconds.

  
"It's going. I got a fancy thing in my chest now, but other than that, nothing's really changed," He shrugs, pulling down the collar of his t-shirt, the one Cooper had gotten him for Christmas, to show off the lump where his port sat with an IV connected to it.

  
"And Cooper?"

  
"Back in New York, doing his movie, which I'm still shocked hasn't been cancelled," Blaine admits, chuckling lightly. "How's Nationals coming along?"

  
"We have a few songs picked out," David admits, a small grin on his face.

  
"A few? That's highly unlikely. I imagine you already have your three picked out and now you're just perfecting them at this point," Blaine says, letting out a deep sigh. The group laughs gently.

 

"You know us too well," Wes says, sighing heavily and shaking his head.

  
"Wow, it's like a reunion in here," Damien comments, a large smile on his face as he pushes through the Warblers, his cart being tugged behind him.

  
"It is," Kurt says, smiling a little. Blaine sits himself down on the edge of the bed so Damien can do his work.

  
"We can't help it. Miss Dapper Blaine? We won't hear of it," Nick says, plopping himself down beside Blaine and wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

  
"Dapper Blaine? That's a story I have to hear," Damien chuckles, snapping on a pair of latex gloves. Red starts to creep up on Blaine's neck, and he lowers the collar of light grey t-shirt to reveal his port once more. Damien chuckles at the red writing on the front.

  
"Well, as everyone else put it. He's sex on a stick and sings like a dream," Nick sighs, doing his best crushing schoolgirl impression.

  
"A teenage dream," David gasps in a high pitched tone, making Blaine rolls his eyes.

  
"You guys are ridiculous," He shakes his head at the group. Damien chuckles, removing the tube from Blaine's chest and setting it in the trashcan on the side of the cart.

  
"I knew you sang, but singing like a dream? Wow,"

  
"He really is talented," Wes nods his head towards the boy, a smirk on his lips.

  
"Well, don't think you're getting discharged from here without performing something for me," Damien winks at the boy, making Blaine chuckle.

  
"Oh man, that's disgusting," Nick looking at the port in Blaine's chest, scrunching his face up.

  
"Thanks, Nick," Blaine rolls his eyes, looking down at his port himself. It really was disgusting knowing there was something under his skin and a needle was going through to it everyday. It freaked him out honestly. It was gross.

  
"Sorry, my boyfriend has no filter," Jeff rolls his eyes, putting his hands on Nick's shoulders from behind him, rubbing them as he talked to the nurse.

  
"My husband is the same way," Damien admits, with a sheepish eye roll. He takes a cotton ball, cleaning up Blaine's port once more as he was speaking.

"Marcus? Really?" Kurt pulls back, clearly shocked. Marcus may be late a few times and seem a little unorganized, but he seemed reserved enough.

  
"Yeah, you should see him with Thomas," Damien chuckles, shaking his head. He reaches back into his cart and pulls out the flush needle. "Ready?" He asks, raising his eyebrows. Blaine scrunches his face and nods. Damien pushes in and gets the needle where it's suppose to be. "Alright, I'll see you in a few hours, and it was nice to meet you guys," He smiles up at the Warblers, giving them a warm smile, which most return.

  
"You too," The Warblers call back, their inner school boys coming out.

  
"What is that?" Nick asks, looking at the tube connected to Blaine's chest and leading to the IV bag.

  
"They call it a flush, but it's really just water. You know, so my kidneys don't fail or shrivel up or something," Blaine shrugs, letting out a deep sigh.

  
"Does it hurt?" Nick asks, his brow furrowing and his face falling.

  
"No, it's actually the best part of chemo. It's like the only part that actually kind of feels nice," Blaine shrugs.

  
"There's a good part?" Trent teases. Blaine laughs, hanging his head.

  
"There's gotta be some somewhere," He replies shrugging his shoulders.

  
"There you go again with that positive attitude again. I swear even when we were in the Warblers together, we would lose and you'd be all sappy and say, 'We did our best and there's always next year. We did a great job! At least now we can spend more time with the elderly," Nick says in his fake high voice again. Blaine smacks him in the shoulder.

  
"I do not talk like that first of all, and second, I never say stuff like that," He argues.

  
"This is such crap. We lost a Regionals that year I was there and you said and I quote ' You did win. So did I. We got each other out of all this. That beats a lousy trophy, don’t you think?'," Kurt teases nudging his shoulder playfully. Blaine scoffs, his cheeks turning a light pink.

  
"Oh my God, you really said that?" Jeff can't help but laugh at the boy.

  
"It was romantic," Kurt smiles, wrapping his arms around Blaine's shoulders from behind and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

  
"Yeah yeah," Thad grumbles teasingly, playfully rolling his eyes.

  
"Alright, alright, enough of the romantic crap, because if you guys didn't know, I'm still single," Trent replies, crossing his arms over his chest. The rooms laughs at the boy and Kurt presses another quick kiss to his boyfriend's cheek, before letting him go with a pat to his chest.

  
"It's so great to see you guys. I feel like I never see anyone beside Kurt, the Hummels, and Sam anymore," Blaine admits, looking down at his hands.

  
"We would have been here sooner, but everything just got really busy with exams and the winter formal, then Regionals and now Nationals. There was just a lot going on, but we always promised we'd meet up and come see you, because once a Warbler always a Warbler," David assures him, patting his shoulder gently, giving the boy a wink. Blaine smiles wide, nodding his head in agreement.

  
"I'm just glad you're here now," he says finally.

  
"Well, just so you know, as soon as you get out of here, we're taking you out," Wes says, a smirk playing on his lips.

  
"What do you mean?"

  
"Well, we don't know what yet, but as soon as you're discharged, we're going to take you out and do something amazing," He shrugs in a reply.

  
'If that happens' Blaine thinks to himself, knowing now was not the right time for something like that. There probably wouldn't ever be a time for that though, so he'd just have to keep it to himself for now.

 

-0-

 

"This is disgusting," Blaine groans, his voice being cut off by another throwing up episode. Kurt sighs heavily, rubbing his lower back with his fingertips.

  
"I'm sorry, Honey," He whispers, lifting the hem of Blaine's shirt to rub lightly at his clammy skin. Blaine grumbles in response, gripping at the toilet seat as he lets himself throw up some more. Kurt cringes at the sounds, his face falling flat. He lets out a deep sigh, continuing to knead his back with the palm of his hand.

  
All he wants to do is make it stop. All the throwing up and soreness and pain. All the burns, scars and nausea. He wants to take it away from him.

  
"I-I think the radiation is fucking with me," Blaine pouts, finally falling back into Kurt's arms. Kurt instinictivly wraps his arms around the boy's waist.

  
"Dr. Thomas said it can make you more nauseas," Kurt says, his lips lingering over Blaine's temple. The boy in his arms shut his eyes, putting his hands over Kurt's.

  
"Let's just lay here forever," Blaine sighs with content, his head resting on his shoulder.

  
"I think the smell of vomit may become overwhelming," Kurt teases, making Blaine chuckle lightly. "Come on, if we don't get up now, we will stay here forever and my butt will go numb," Kurt jokes, patting his thigh gingerly. Blaine groans, but gets up anyway, flushing the toilet on his way up. Kurt gets off the floor as well, waiting patiently for Blaine to brush his teeth.

  
None of this was new. It just felt like it happened at least once a day anymore. It was annoying, and for Blaine it was exhausting. When Blaine was finished, he pressed a quick kiss onto Kurt's lips, knowing that the minty fresh taste was his favorite. Kurt smiles, tugging on Blaine's hand to pull him back out into his room.

  
Kurt plops down on the couch, with Blaine behind him, wrapping the boy in his arms. Blaine reaches for the remote and slides it into Kurt's lap, letting him pick something for himself.

  
"What should we watch?" Kurt asks, snuggling further into his boyfriend's chest, still careful of his left side where another burn from radiation has appeared from Monday.

Blaine shrugs, letting his shoulder rest on Kurts shoulder, his lips lingering over his shoulder. Kurt playfully rolls his eyes, scrolling through the guide. Blaine watches him with a smile, rubbing his thumb lightly over his chest.

  
"You're staring again," Kurt scoffs, shaking his head.

  
"I know," Blaine admits, pecking his cheek and temple with soft, gentle lips. "I can do that. You're my boyfriend,"

  
"Mm, minty," Kurt chuckles, red creeping up on his neck. Blaine chuckles, kissing his ear lobe next. "Stop, it tickles," He giggles, trying to hide his ear into his shoulder. Blaine laughs, trying to get to the spot anyway. Kurt laughs, shaking his head.

  
It hits him then. Blaine pulls back, his smile starting to fade. He doesn't want to live without hearing that laugh. He wants to hear it everyday of his life. Forever. What if he won't be able to? What if these next few months will be the last few times he'll get to hear that laugh? He doesn't want to think about it, but he does. He can't help it. It shows that he's happy and that's all he could ask for Kurt. That he's happy, laughing and smiling everyday for the rest of his life.

  
"Blaine?" Kurt turns his head back towards his boyfriend, his face falling with worry and concern. "Honey, what's wrong?"

  
"If I don't make it through this, I want to do whatever it takes to make you happy," Blaine blurts. Kurt pulls his head back.

  
"What? What are you talking about?" He cocks his head to the side.

  
"If I don't get to have my happy ending, I want you to have one. Even if it's not with me," Blaine says, starting to lace their fingers together, but Kurt ripped it away. He tried not to look too hurt.

  
"No, I'm not doing that. You're my everything, Blaine," Kurt shakes his head, moving so they're now facing each other. Blaine sighs heavily.

  
"Baby, please listen to me," Blaine moves his hand to cup Kurt's face with one hand, rubbing his cheek softly with his thumb. "This is all an if, but I want you to be happy. I want you to smile and laugh like that everyday forever. If something happens to me, I want you to be happy, with someone else,"

  
"No. I'm talking about this. Why are you talking like this?" Kurt pulling Blaine's hand down from his face, his eyes filling tears and his brow furrowed with anger. Blaine hangs his head down, licking his lips. "Why are you talking about this? Where did this come from?"

  
"I'm worried, alright? I don't want me to ruin your life forever, because I left you," Blaine admits.

  
"Stop that. You could never ruin my life. You are my life," Kurt says, lifting Blaine's chin with his finger and thumb. It was Blaine's turn to rip it away.

  
"That's what scares me. We both know that me dying is a possibility. I mean all I'm doing is getting worse and worse everyday while everyone else will get better and better. I'm not getting any better. Eventually, a day will come where I can't get out of bed and another day will come where I won't be able to kiss you back or keep my eyes open, and one may even come where I can't squeeze that hand back and I don't want to see you unhappy forever. I want you to be happy even if I don't make it through this, okay?"

  
"Stop that. Stop talking like that," Kurt hangs his head to hide his tears gathering in his eyes and his voice thick with emotion.

  
"No, don't cry, please," Blaine lifts the boy's chin up to look him in the eye.

  
"How can I not cry, Blaine? We're talking about you dying and I just don't think I'd be able to do it without you," He admits, hiccupping.

  
"Yes, yes you can because you are so strong," Blaine promises.

  
"So are you, so you'll be fine. You are stronger than I am. You're-"

  
"No, I'm strong enough to put on a smile each day, bu not enough to actually fight cancer and beat it,"

  
"I don't wanna talk about this," Kurt starts to pull away, but Blaine stops him, pulling him back to himself.

  
"Kurt, that's the only thing I want for you is to be happy. I don't want you mourning me forever, okay? I want you to be able to get up and still do all the amazing things you're bound to do in your lifetime, okay?"

  
"Stop it," Kurt says, smacking his chest.

  
"Baby, please, we have to talk about these things,"

  
"No, we don't. So, stop it," Kurt huffs.

  
"We can't live in a world of ignorance anymore," He shakes his head, biting his bottom lip with worry.

  
"It may not even happen," Kurt says, shaking his head.

  
"I know, but there's a large possibility," Blaine says, his eyes starting gather tears. He was really trying to stay strong, but Kurt crying like this wasn't making it any easier.

  
"I don't want to do it without you," Kurt says, his voice going quiet. Blaine sighs heavily, pecking his cheek carefully, it tasting of salt. "I wanna move to New York and go to NYADA together, then get married and have at least four kids together. I wanna have a successful line of clothing, named after you and I want to design bow-ties for you for Father's Day and spend our wedding anniversary just snuggling on the couch with the kids staying with Rachel and Finn for the night. I want to hang drawings up on our fridge that our kids made, no matter how messy they are, because they'll be perfect in our eyes. I want to go to parent teacher conferences with you and complain about the PTA for hours," Kurt admits, his forehead pressed against Blaine's. Blaine can't help the small smile on his face.

  
"You wanna have kids with me?" Blaine asks sheepishly, running his thumb across the boy's cheek.

  
"Of course I do," Kurt chuckles. "I don't care how we do it, whether it be by adoption or surrogacy, I just want to have a family with you," Kurt smiles lightly, tears still pouring down his cheeks. Blaine's smile grows.

  
"Jesus, I love you so much," Blaine admits, pressing his lips to his forehead, letting them linger over the skin. He stays like that before pulling back from him to look at him directly in the eyes.

  
"I want to have kids with you and I want to celebrate Father's Day with you and watch our kids sing or dance at their plays and competitions or play at their sports games, and I'll pretend to know how what's going on," Kurt stops to chuckle, making Blaine do the same, knowing it's true. Blaine's face turns serious.

  
"But I mean this, I want you to be happy if we don't have that ending, okay?"

  
"No, I won't be happy unless you're beside me," Kurt shakes his head, his face falling once more. He wraps his colds hands around Blaine's wrists, but the cold was welcomed. Kurt's touch was always welcomed no matter how hot or cold he was.

  
"Yes you will," Blaine nods, rubbing his thumb lightly across his wet cheek. "I know this may sound stupid, but if something happens through out this, promise you'll move on from me," Kurt shakes his head.

  
"I'm not promising anything," He sniffles. Blaine sighs heavily.

  
"Please, Kurt. We're young, we are so young and we still have lives to live and if mine gets cut, I don't want you to waste yours. I want you to find someone in New York," A tear falls from Blaine's eye.

  
"Fine," Kurt rolls his eyes, shaking his head.

  
"Promise?"

  
"Promise," Kurt says reluctantly, rolling his eyes.

  
"I'm serious, please,"

  
"I'm serious. I promise, alright?" Kurt cups Blaine's cheeks. Blaine lets out a deep sigh before nodding his head. "Good," He leans forwards, pressing a kiss to his lips. "I love you so much," He admits, his eyes still closed as he pulls back.

  
"I love you too," He smiles gently. "Four kids? I thought you only wanted two," He chuckles.

  
"No, I want four. two boys and two girls," Kurt smiles, searching in Blaine's eyes. Not for anything in particular, but just to stare because he could. Blaine smiles gently.

  
"As long as we can name one of the boys Harry,"

  
"No! We are not naming him after a fictional wizard, Blaine," Kurt laughs, shaking his head at his boyfriend, pulling back from him, but not too far, just enough to lace their fingers together and squeeze tightly. Blaine laughs, hanging his head down.

  
"Okay, then Ron?"

  
"No," Kurt shakes his head, playfully rolling his eyes. "Hepburn, maybe," He adds. Blaine doesn't say anything, but just gives him a dopey grin.

  
"What's that look for?" Kurt scrunches his face up, his cheeks turning a light pink and this time it wasn't from tears.

  
"What can I say? I'm in love," He shrugs, leaning forward to give Kurt a long kiss. Kurt rolls his eyes, wrapping a hand behind his head to pet his bald head carefully with his thumb. Blaine smiles into the kiss, letting his lips linger of his boyfriend's.

 

"Have I ever told you that I love you?"

  
"No, I don't think I have ever heard you say that," Kurt teases. Blaine's smile grows, pecking his lips once more.

  
"Thank you, Kurt,"

  
"Blaine-"

  
"No, I'm thanking you anyway, because I'm serious. You've done so much for me. Thank you for being here even when I didn't think I'd need you,"

  
"I'll always be here, right beside you. No matter how bad you feel," Kurt promises, giving him a small smile that Blaine returns.

 


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two: James Anderson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO sorry! These past few weeks have been crazy and stressful and when I get stressed, I shut down. So, I apologize, but things will fizzle out after Thanksgiving. I'm not going to promise regular updates, but I will promise updates that are not more than two weeks apart! Lol! Enjoy this one because next one will be VERY VERY angsty, so look forward to that. Enjoy and leave a kudos if you haven't already and leave a comment telling me whatever you want!

"Blaine, I love you, a lot, but not enough to watch Harry Potter again this week," Kurt sighs, looking up from the stack of DVDs to look at his boyfriend who was laying on the bed, curled up in a swamp of blankets. Blaine laughs at him, watching Kurt was he sat on the floor, sorting through the choices.

  
"But it's Harry Potter," Blaine pouts.

  
"I know, that's why I don't wanna watch it again for at least another ten years," Kurt teases, flicking through the sleeve of DVDs. "What else do you wanna watch?" He asks, never tearing his eyes away from the many choices. In the past six months, people have been buying Blaine DVDs left and right and whenever a new one would come out, Kurt would pick it up for him, because it was one of the only things he did anymore.

  
Especially on days like this, when he didn't feel like getting out of bed, not even to vomit, so they put a bucket beside his bed. He didn't have a fever, but they were watching for one, knowing that it may be fatal if he did get one. That's why for now, Blaine was on bedrest, until he felt a little better, wanting him to get better before he got worse.

  
"I have no idea, something to make me laugh," Blaine shrugs, nuzzling his nose against his pillows with a content sigh.

  
"Disney?" Kurt asks, raising his eyebrows in question. Blaine's smile grows.

  
"You know me too well," He says, making Kurt chuckle.

  
"Of course I do," He shrugs, pulling out a disk from one of the sleeves and putting it into the DVD player. He heaves himself off the floor as the opening credits start playing. Blaine sits up, opening the stack of blankets up for his boyfriend. Kurt smiles, crawling in beside his boyfriend, letting Blaine lie his head on his chest, cuddling up to his warm body. Since the cancer started and he stopped being able to get warm, stealing Kurt's body heat became a must and by now, he's mastered the skill. Luckily, Kurt didn't mind one bit.

  
He didn't mind, but he did worry. Horribly. It was the protective boyfriend that lived inside of him. Every time Blaine threw up, said he felt sick, groaned in pain, or coughed, Kurt worried. He's done whatever he could possibly do to make Blaine feel better. Whether that be rubbing his back while he threw up, held him while he cried, gave him massages when he hurt, or just telling him everything would be okay, he did. He'd do more if could. He'd go through it himself if he could, not wanting to see his love hurt like this or feel this sick.

  
Kurt swears everday he gets worse. The paler he looked, the worse Kurt felt. The skinnier he got, the lower Kurt's stomach sank. The weaker he felt, the more Kurt's heart broke. He couldn't do anything. He was powerless and as much as he hated to admit it, Blaine never getting better was a possibility. A large one.

  
Dr. Thomas used to talk with hope and high expectations, but over the past few weeks, it became less and less until he no longer said anything or sure. It made Kurt's heart sink and his stomach twist into complicated knots. If Dr. Thomas has stopped believing it, what did that leave them with.

  
And Blaine only ever seemed to get worse. He never got a break, it was always one thing after the other. Others seemed to be getting better and things seemed to be going well got others, but Blaine just remained the same, or got worse. They could never catch a break.

  
Today was one of those days. Today was one of the days when Kurt felt like he couldn't breathe when he looked at his boyfriend and not because he was breathtakingly beautiful. No, it was because he looked so different.

  
Blaine used to walk down the hallway and it would make Kurt's heart stop because he was just gorgeous. Now, the only halls he saw him walk down would be at the hospital.

His shirts that used to hug his muscles became loose and now he never even wore short sleeve shirts without something over it because the cold air made him shiver. His skin was no longer olive and shining under the lights, but now it's pale, a little green and now it almost glittered under the light because it was so white. It made Kurt's heart break for him.

  
The singer used to get attention from boys and girls, and now the only attention he got were looks over worry, even from his own boyfriend.

  
"Okay, now I understand why you hate it when I stare at you," Blaine chuckles, shifting so he can look up at his boyfriend. Kurt laughs, a smile growing on his face.

  
"Sorry, as you always say, I can't help it," He shrugs, rubbing his thumb across Blaine's shoulder blade.

  
"What's wrong?" Blaine asks, scrunching his brow with concern. Kurt's small smile starts to fade slightly.

  
"Nothing, just thinking is all," Kurt shrugs, brushing his thumb across Blaine's cheek.

  
"What? About changing the curtains?" Blaine teases, making his boyfriend chuckle.

  
Over the past few months, between the two of them, they've really made the room home. Blaine was actually encouraged by Damien, Molly, and Dr. Thomas to decorate the room, claiming it would help make him feel at home and people tend to heal better when they're at home. It took a few weeks for Blaine to put anything up on the walls or decorate anything, because he was in denial, but now the room has really started taking a place in his heart. It was now his home. He didn't have one in Westerville anymore, and that left this room right here.

  
Yes, the Hummel house was home to him, before he got here, but he didn't know if he could call it home anymore, due to the fact it's been so long. This room would have to do.

  
Post-it notes of all different colors had taken home above his bed. Every time a friend, family, or nurse would come and go, they would leave a postive Post-it note, just like Kurt wanted them to. There were quiet a few now.

  
_"Courage" Was on a blue one from Kurt._

  
_"You're not done yet," From Burt._

  
_"It's just a stepping stone" Damien's from a few weeks ago._

  
_"We still have to go to Comic-Con in San Diego" From Sam._

  
_"I've seen you deal with worse things than this" Cooper's._

  
_"You've dealt with Rachel for this long. You'll be fine" From Finn._

  
Even the Warblers have left a few when they came and seen him last week.

  
_"You can't leave me with these idiots" -Wes_

  
_"I'll kick you ass if you ever give up" -Nick_

  
_"Sebastian is the only cancerous thing you have to worry about" -Trent_

  
It warmed Blaine's heart to come back from support group or from a walk around the hospital and see the array of note hanging above his bed, letting him know that every single one of those people loved and cared about him. Kurt was full of good ideas.

  
White fairy lights were hanging above the post-it notes, lighting up the top of his bed and setting a nice ambience to the room, different polaroids hanging from clothing clips that were clipped to the string of lights. Kurt had hung them up during Christmas and Blaine wanted to keep them there because he liked the way they looked and so they added the pictures. Over the door, on the inside, was a rainbow flag that Damien found at a flea market that thought he'd like, which he did, very much. He should be out and proud like he was before and hanging that up wasn't letting him hide from who he was anymore.

  
Since Blaine couldn't have real flowers, Kurt had gotten him a bouqet of fake yellow and red roses for Valentine's Day and Blaine had kept them, putting them in a vase anyway and setting them on his nightstand beside his happy thoughts jar, for whenever he felt down, and a few electric tea lights that were usually on after it got dark.

  
Pictures of Kurt, Blaine and Cooper, and his frieds were hanging up on the walls and put in picture frames scattered across the room. It reminded Blaine that he wasn't alone again, and sometimes it was nice to see what he used to look like, giving him something to work for once he gets healthy. Some of them were from past Christmases and others were from past Glee competitions or celebrated birthdays and anniversaries. Others were just from he was a little boy with Cooper beside him and an arm slung around his shoulders.

  
Stacks of old books that's he's read at least twice and DVDs or CDs were scattered around the room, on nightstands, tables, dressers, or just on the floor in the corners. Dirty hoodies and beanies of all different colors were in piles by the hamper, thrown across the back of the couch, or on the end of the bed. Sometimes Damien or Kurt would come in and start cleaning them up a bit, but by the end of the week, they would be scattered around again. Blaine didn't mind his room being a little messy, because it just made him a little more comfortable.

  
His favorite part though was the mint candles. His nose was really sensitive from chemo, but Kurt made a good choice getting them. It was one of the few scents that didn't make him feel sick anymore. There were four of them, two large ones and two smaller ones, all of them filling the room with mint, drowning out the smell of the hospital.

  
Kurt had even put some decorative and colored pillows on the black pull out couch. One was a rainbow striped one and the other was a dark blue one with a red, cursive B on the front. They were both very Blaine. Different colored blankets were always strewn across the room, over the back of the couch, at the end of the bed and hung up on hooks over the bathroom door facing into the room.

  
It was small and wasn't his room from his old house, but it had become home and it was his. He wouldn't have it any other way.

  
"No, the curtains aren't that horrible," Kurt shrugs, a small smile on his face as he looks over to the windows, covered by a pair of off-white curtains.

  
Blaine chuckles, nuzzling his nose against the fabric of Kurt's sweater. The slightly taller boy leans down to press a soft kiss to the top of his head. As soon as Blaine lifted his head to place one on his lips, his phone started ringing from his nightstand.

  
Kurt closes his eyes, letting out a deep sigh.

  
"Just let it ring," Blaine shakes his head, bringing his hand up to cup his cheek.

  
"B," Kurt pouts, pulling back from his boyfriend. Blaine grumbled, reaching over for the phone. He scrunches his brow with confusion at the unfamiliar number.

  
"It's an unknown number," Blaine shrugs, reaching up for his boyfriend's lips again. Kurt chuckles.

  
"Baby, you should answer it," Kurt chuckles, pecking his lips quickly. Blaine groans, reaching across to the nighstand once more. He slides the green call button over putting it to his ear after a deep sigh.

  
"Hello?"

  
"Blaine," Blaine freezes with fear at the voice. He doesn't say anything. "Blaine? Did I get the right number?" The voice asks again. Blaine shoots up in bed, swinging hist feet over the side, throwing the blankets off.

  
"Baby?" Kurt sits in concern, watching the way Blaine's hands were starting to shake. Blaine shakes his head at his boyfriend.

  
"Dad?" Is that the right word he should use for him? He was hardly a father to him, ever. He's never called him anything different though, even when things were at its worst. A breath of relief comes through the phone reciever.

  
"Hey, Blaine," He sounds different. His voice isn't as rough but smooth. He's never heard him like this before. His voice is lighter, like a weight has been lifted from it.

  
"Why are you calling?" Blaine scrunches his brow, sitting up a little straighter, clearing his throat out. Kurt reaches over, rubbing the small of his back carefully, to show he was there to support him. He could hear bits of the conversation.

  
"I've been seeing a therapist these past few weeks," James says.

  
"I don't care," Blaine says, clenching his teeth together. He wanted to hang up, but he couldn't let himself put the phone down. For some reason, he wanted to hear more. James continues anyway.

  
"I've been going to therapy and he thinks I should call you,"

  
"Why? I don't wanna hear from you," Blaine scoffs, digging his fingernails into the side of the mattress. Kurt reaches over, taking Blaine's free hand between both of his, bringing his knuckles up to his lips, trying to be as comforting as possible.

  
"I know," James says. "He thinks I should apologize,"

  
"Are you even sorry? Or are you just trying to get brownie points?" Blaine asks, hanging his head down to look at the floor and his sock clad feet. James hesitates. The only thing being heard was their breathing. It made Blaine's body go rigged.

  
"For some of it. I'm sorry for some of it. Other things I will never apologize for. I stick by what I said," He finally says. Blaine scoffs, shaking his head with a small chuckle. James sighs heavily.

  
"How much? Percentage wise?"

  
"Maybe forty percent. I regret hitting your mom, and beating you like that a few months ago. I-"

  
"Only a few months ago? What about from I was nine and I couldn't ride my bike or when I was thirteen and got a bad test grade, or on my sixteenth birthday and I came home twenty minutes late? or what about all the other times you've hit me and Mom and Cooper for that matter, even if he was jus sticking up for me and for what was right?"   
"I'm getting there," James manages, after a long hesitation. Blaine shakes his head, tears starting in his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I will never be okay with you being gay, ever. It's wrong and I stand by that. I will forever stand by that, no matter what,"

  
"Why? Because I love someone that loves me back? Because I found someone that makes me happy?" Blaine was getting angry. He throws Kurt's hand off of his so he could use it to talk, even though James couldn't see him. Kurt jumps slightly at the surprise of it, but understands, just trying not ot let the heart break show on his face.

  
"Blaine, I don't want to-"

  
"What? You don't want to fight? I didn't want to fight a lot of times when you came home drunk, but I didn't have a choice because I was being kicked to ground!" He hears a dark sigh from over the phone. "You did this to yourself!" He shouts, getting to his feet and starting to pace up and down his room. "You're the one who ruined this family not me!"

  
"Everything was fine before you came out of the closet! And for what? Some boy who doesn't give two shits about you and is just as confused as you are?" James shouts back.

  
"He loves me more than you have ever loved anyone in your pathetic life! How was everything okay? I felt like I was dying! Pretending to be someone I wasn't! Pretending for you! Because I was begging for you love me and you never did! No matter how hard I tried! You never gave two shits about me!" Blaine yells, tears now pouring down his cheeks rapidly.

  
"I never asked you to,"

  
"No, you didn't because you didn't care! You never will! I'll never be enough for you, because I'm not the son you want!" Blaine cries, running a hand over the top of his bald head. Kurt cringes at his voice, sympathy filling his heart and eyes.

  
"It's wrong, Blaine! It's disgusting and it makes me sick to my stomach seeing you with that boy!" James shouts. Blaine can almost see his upper lips turned in disgust and his jaw clench with anger.

  
"And it makes me feel sick when I can smell the whiskey on your breath and when I see the bruises on Mom's face, the ones you left on Cooper's jaw and his eyes. It makes me sick knowing I'll never have a father who gives a shit about me or who I am," Blaine's voice is cracking, but he wasn't about to stop now. His dad didn't wanna fight, but he did. He has been bottling everything up inside him for years and now that his father could no longer hurt him, due to being in rehab, he was finally free to let loose.

  
"Because you aren't someone wasting two shits on, dammit! You're a fag and you always will be!" His voice is loud and it makes Blaine cringe back from his phone.

  
"And you're an asshole, and always will be!"

  
"Well, I'm sorry I'm not your father of the year, but you weren't exactly the best son either,"

  
"I didn't want the father of the year! I wanted a goddamn father and you gave me nothing! Nothing but bruises, scars, and the fear that I'll end up just like you!" Blaine's voice cracks at the last word, choking on one of his sobs.

  
"You're so much like your mother it's disgusting," James scoffs.

  
"No, I didn't run off like she did. I didn't push people until they broke," Blaine's voice falls, his chest heaving with exhaustion. He stops in his tracks, putting a hand on his hip. Kurt watches his boyfriend with worry, ready to catch him when he falls.

  
"This is what I mean. You've never been grateful for all we've done for you. You'll always be the scum of this family, even worse than your brother,"

  
"At least Cooper gives a shit about his family!" Blaine yells, his voice getting cut off by a sob.

  
"When I get home, you better not be there or you'll have hell to pay," James whispers.

  
"Wow, even without the alcohol, you're still an asshole. I don't plan on coming back to that place. It was never home anyway. Don't call me again and have fun in there," With that, Blaine hangs up, tossing his phone on the bed, not wanting to give the satisfaction of his dad having the last word. Kurt opens his arms and Blaine falls into them. He wraps his arms around Kurt's waist, sobbing loudly into his lap. Kurt winds his arms around Blaine's body, rubbing at his waist carefully.

  
"It's okay," Kurt comforts, letting his own tears falls, not wanting to let go of his boyfriend.

  
"No, it's not. It's never going to be okay," Blaine cries harder, soaking Kurt's sweater.

  
"It doesn't matter. He doesn't matter. Everything he says is bullshit," Kurt breathes, looking up and away from his boyfriend, knowing it was breaking his heart. In the doorway was Damien, holding onto the doorframe and looking at the couple with concern. Kurt just shakes his head at him, not knowing what else to say or what else to do.

  
"He'll never leave me alone. He'll always be there," Blaine sobs.

  
"No, I won't let him. Cooper won't let him. We won't let him hurt you again," Kurt says, the hem of Blaine's hoodie riding up, revealing a gap of white skin. Kurt rubs at is comfortingly, knowing he'd appreciate the skin on skin contact. Damien doesn't move from the doorway, but instead watches them, to make sure they don't need anything. Kurt appreciates it, knowing that he was there was comforting.

  
"Why is he like this? Why can't he just love me like Burt? Why can't he just accept me? Why am I like this?" Blaine sobs. Kurt's breathing goes still.

  
"This is not you. This is not your fault. It will never be your fault. This is on him because he is a horrible, horrible person and you are amazing. You're perfect just the way you are," Blaine cries harder at his boyfriend's words, gripping at him harder and burying his face farther into his lap. Kurt rubs his back carefully, leaning down to press a soft kiss to his shoulder blade. "You do not need him at all. You don't need him or your mom because you have Damien and my dad and me. We'll never hurt you like that, ever, okay?"

Blaine nods his head into Kurt's sweater his shoulders shaking with sobs. Kurt looks back up at Damien, who was discreetly wiping at his eyes. Hearing Blaine talk like this, didn't only hurt Kurt, but it hurt Damien too, and everyone around him that loved him.

  
Blaine's shoulders start to slow down, his breathing starting to get deeper and less shallow or rapid.

  
"You're okay," Kurt repeats. Blaine slowly lifts himself up to meet his boyfriend. He crawls into his lap. The countertenor gives him a small smile, brushing his thumb across his cheek. Blaine doesn't return it, but does nuzzle into his touch.

  
"How did I get so lucky to be with you? To find you? You're everything I could ever want or need and more," Blaine says, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend's neck. Kurt smiles gently.

  
"I ask myself that everyday," Kurt replies, his face and voice thick and full of emotion. This time, Blaine returns the small smile. Feeling like he was intruding, Damien pushes off the doorway, giving them a small smile before leaving the two alone, making sure to shut the door behind him.

  
"I love you. I love you more than I can even express," Blaine shakes his head, pressing his forehead against the boy's own. Kurt chuckles lightly, wiping at Blaine's cheeks with the pad of his thumb.

  
"I love you too, Sweetheart," he breathes, leaning forward to press a chaste, but passionate kiss to his lips, before pulling him tighter to his chest, rubbing his back carefully and the back of his head gently. Blaine falls into his arms, his shoulders relaxing at his touch and Kurt presses a soft, lingering kiss to the side of his bald head.

  
"I'll always be here for you, no matter what happens, alright?" Kurt promises. Blaine nods into his shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent of his boyfriend. It was home and was comfort. It was the only home that he knew would never leave, that would always be there no matter what happens.

  
If he got worse, or got better, home would be there. Kurt would be there. If he moved to New York, if he stayed here, he would be there. If his dad left him or if he came back, he would be there. If he lived with Damien or Marcus or with Cooper, Kurt was there. He always would be no matter what happened. It's how they worked, it's why they worked.

 

-0-

 

"Hey," Blaine says softly, his hands in his pockets as he comes through the door to his boyfriend, stuck in his phone, texting furiously. His thumbs moving a million miles a minute. Kurt snaps his head up, the knit in his brow instantly fading when he sees his boyfriend back from group therapy a few minutes early. He returns the small smile on his face.

  
"Hey," He greets, locking his phone and setting it down beside him.

  
"Who are you texting?" Blaine asks, sitting down beside Kurt and wrapping his arms around his neck, still sitting beside him. He rests his head on his shoulder, taking in a deep breath to smell his boyfriend's sweater. The smell always comforted him.

  
"Rachel, she's driving me crazy," Kurt admits, pressing a soft kiss to Blaine's arm, rubbing at the sweatshirt clad skin softly. "What's new though?"

  
"What'd she do this time?" Blaine chuckles with amusement, letting his chin rest on Kurt's shoulder, an amused smile on his face.

  
"She's taking over Nationals, even though it's coming up within the next two weeks. She's trying to change things and being crazy about it all. Like always," Kurt rolls his eyes, taking a deep breath of annoyance. Blaine smiles, watching his boyfriend talk. He loved to hear him talking. His voice was soft and loving, no matter what he was talking about.

  
"Did you really expect anything else?" Blaine teases. Kurt laughs this time, nodding his head.

  
"No, I guess not," He shrugs. They don't say anything for a few more minutes, Blaine just staring at his boyfriend's face, which was inches apart from his own.

  
"What's wrong?" Kurt's face falls, adjusting so he can face his boyfriend, Blaine's arms sliding down to fall loosely at his waist.

  
"What? What do you mean?" Blaine furrows his brows with cleat confusion.

  
"I can tell something's wrong. You seem off. What happened?" He asks, putting a reassuring hand on his knee, rubbing his thumb across the spot carefully.

  
"You know me so well," Blaine scoffs, shaking his head. "It's kind of scary,"

  
"It's because I love you that much," Kurt teases, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to his lips, just a quick peck. Blaine chuckles, accepting it graciously.

  
"Did something happen in group?"

  
"Sorta," Blaine shrugs, trying to ignore it. He leans back, falling into the couch and connecting his hands over his chest. Kurt leans back as well, but instead turns his body to face him totally, resting his elbow on the back of it.

  
"Leo's letter for NYADA came in yesterday," Blaine tells him.

  
"Did he not get in?" Kurt asks, scrunching his brows together.

  
"No, he did," Blaine nods. The countertenor pulls back slightly, clearly confused.

  
"He has cancer, how is he going to go to NYADA in the Fall?"

  
"I don't know, it doesn't make any sense, but his doctor said he should be able," Blaine nods his head slowly.

  
"You wish it was you, huh?" Kurt says, his face falling with realization. Again, Blaine nods slowly.

  
"I know it sound stupid, because I'm only a junior, we're both only juniors, but I want to have something the look forward to. I want to be able to go to NYADA, get acceptance letters, all that stuff,"

  
"Honey, you do have something to look forward to. Our New York trip," Kurt says, reaching over to conjoin their hands.

  
"I know, I know," Blaine says, automatically, turning so he can take both of his hands and squeeze them tightly. "That's not what I meant. I promise you. It's just-" He pauses, trying to find the right words. "I don't want it to be something short like a trip, I want it to be the rest of our lives. I want to get excited for college and my first day at NYADA and moving into a loft with you. I want to have those things within reach, but they're so far away and they feel so unrealistic," He admits.

  
"They're not. They're just as real as anything else in this world. You will have your first day, it'll be our first day and we'll get that loft in New York and we will be together forever, in New York City, but we have to be patient, Okay?"

  
"Okay," Blaine nods, tears starting to well up in his eyes. Kurt gives him a small smile.

  
"We'll get there. You'll get your acceptance letter and I'll get mine on the same day. Picture it now," Kurt sighs with content, pulling Blaine close to his chest, making the boy laugh. "Are you picturing it?" Kurt asks, looking down. Blaine chuckles, shutting his eyes and nodding his head.

  
"Okay, keep going," He encourage, nuzzling his nose against Kurt's shoulder.

  
"They both arrive and my dad comes to tell us about it. We go to at least four different rooms, trying to find the right one. The one that made us feel the best. Of course, we end up in the choir room, after my dad tells us we're being ridiculous of course,"

  
"Of course," Blaine says softly, nodding his head with agreement.

  
"We both promise that no matter what happens, we'll stay together and that if one of us doesn't get in, we'll figure it out and still go to New York, hoping the other schools we applied to come through," he pauses, squeezing Blaine shoulder. "Then we kiss to seal the deal, quick of course, because otherwise my dad would kill us, then we lay them on the piano, and squeeze hands. My dad will tell us to hurry up because he's freaking out inside. I'll worry about his heart for a few seconds and then you'll open yours first after my dad tell us to hurry up before he opens them up himself,"

  
Blaine smiles grows at Kurt's words, excitement already filling his heart.

  
"You'll open it up, and it'll say you got in. I'll hug you tightly and my dad with give you a giant bear hug, so you won't be able to breathe," Kurt stops to smile.

  
"Your dad gives the best hugs," He comments.

  
"Yeah, he really does," Kurt nods. "Then, you'll reassure me that mine says the same. I'll open my own letter with shaky fingers and start crying. You both will think it says I didn't make it, but it'll say I did and they were happy tears. My dad will beat you to a hug, because he was just so excited and then when he finally lets go of me, you'll pull me in for a deep kiss, right there in front of my dad because you love me so much. We'll both be crying with happiness because all our dreams are coming true and just when you start to stick your tongue down my throat, because I'm irresistible, my dad will break us up, because he doesn't want to see you defile his son,"

  
"Oh my God, Kurt. You are no baby penguin any more," Blaine teases, his cheeks turning a light pink.

  
"Hey! You're suppose to be imagining!" Kurt jokes, smacking his arm lightly, making Blaine laugh lightly.

  
"Alright, alright," He nods his head.

  
"Anyway! My dad will hug us both and he'll pull us from school for the day. Then, we'll go to Breadstixs, not really caring if the food there really sucks," Kurt jokes. Blaine chuckles lightly, a large smile on his face. "My dad will be so proud, that all of us will cry because we're so happy,"

  
"Then when my dad takes us home, we'll go up to my room, and we'll celebrate," Kurt shrugs.

  
"Celebrate? By doing what exactly?" Blaine asks, a grin appearing on his face.

  
"Well, there will be no clothes involved, a lot of kissing, and maybe some rubber."

  
"Maybe? Ooh, I'm intrigued," Blaine smiles devilishly.

  
"It will be our workout for the day, and-" Kurt's cut off by Blaine's lips, attacking his own, sucking in a deep breath through the kiss.

  
"Do we have to wait until then?" Blaine whispers, rubbing his nose against Kurt's and pressing an open mouthed kiss to his lips. Kurt chuckles, letting Blaine's tongue explore his mouth. Blaine wraps his arms around Kurt's neck, sucking on his upper lip. Kurt giggles as he wraps his arms around Blaine's shoulders, holding him close.

  
"You're perfect," Blaine says between a kiss, just to catch their breaths, before diving in for another. Kurt reaches up to cup his boyfriend's face moving to sit in his lap.

  
"Afternoon boys!" Damien says from the door, following an amused laugh. Blaine and Kurt pull apart instantly, Kurt falling back into his own seat trying to fix his hair as best as he could, but it was proving to be pointless. Blaine always did love running his hands through Kurt's hair during make-out sessions.

  
"Hey, Damien," Blaine says, sucking on his kiss swollen lips, trying to hide evidence, but he had caught them red handed, luckily he caught them early enough though, but there was no way they would live this down.

  
"Hey, Boys! I'll just pretend I didn't see that," He winks, pulling his cart in with him. Blaine chuckles, looking over to his boyfriend, who had horribly red cheeks. He can only imagine what his looked like. He could feel the heat creep up on them. Kurt looks to him, clearly embarrassed.

  
"Good idea," Blaine nods, clearing his throat out, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Damien chuckles, joining the couple to do Blaine's medicine for the day.

 

-0-

  
Blaine heaves himself up from the tile floor, using the toilet seat for support, and sniffling back his sinuses as he did. He wipes his mouth on his sleeve and goes to the sink, grabbing his toothbrush from its cup holder. His head was full of cotton. At least that's what it felt like. He could barely think straight at this point.

  
He runs a hand over his bald head as he brushes his teeth, trying to get rid of the taste of bile in his mouth.That was always the worst part of throwing up. No matter how many times he brushed his teeth, chewed gum, sucked on mints, or ate Lemonheads, the taste never truly left. It always lingered until he woke up the next morning.

  
When he leans over to spit out the toothpaste, a large glob or red comes with it. He scrunches his brow as another drops onto his arm as it reaches for the faucet. Blaine brings a finger up to his nose and brings it back down to reveal another drop of red. His nose was bleeding.

  
"Shit," he whispers, reaching for the tissue box on the edge of sink. He drops his toothbrush back into the cup and spits the rest of his toothpaste out as more and more blood starts to come from his nostrils. It's almost a steady stream, one drop coming almost immediately after the other. He puts the tissue to his nose, trying to get it to stop, but it was soon being soaked with red.

  
"Fuck," he grumbles, shaking his head as he reaches for another tissue. Again, it quickly fills with his blood. At the sound of footsteps outside the bathroom door, Blaine's shoulders relax slightly.

  
"Kurt? Is that you?" He calls, grabbing yet another tissue and discarding the old ones into the trashcan beside the sink, only missing a couple of times.

  
"Yeah, what's up?" Kurt asks, his voice light with worry.

  
"I need your help," Blaine replies, the blood starting to come a little faster. Within a second, Kurt is coming into the bathroom and beside his boyfriend.

  
"What's- holy shit," He stops himself, seeing the blood soaked tissue being held to his nose.

  
"Yeah, I know," Blaine sighs heavily. He straightens his posture a little and starts to tip his head back.

  
"What are you doing?!" Kurt screeches, pushing his head back over so it was held over the sink.

  
"What? Doesn't that stop bleeding?" Blaine asks, scrunching his brow with confusion.

  
"No, you will drown in your own blood, keep putting tissues to it," Kurt instructs, reaching for another tissue, but just grasping at an empty box.

  
"Maybe drowning will be easier," Blaine grumbles under his breath, earning a smack in the arm from his boyfriend.

  
"Uh, you're out of tissues. I'll go get Damien, hold tight," Kurt says, rubbing the small of his back quickly, before hurrying off. Blaine groans loudly, allowing his nose to drip freely once his tissue is filling again. The blood was thin, it easily soaking the even thinner material. He switches on the faucet while he waits, watching the red mix with the water, making it a dull pink. His head was starting to pound, his brain starting to swim. He felt like he was waiting forever for Damien and Kurt to come back.

  
By the time they did, there was more red than water mixing in the basin.

  
"Heard you have a bloody nose," Damien says, hurrying into the bathroom with an icepack and fresh tissues in hand. Blaine manages a small chuckle and Kurt puts a comforting hand on the small of his back, feeling pretty useless at the moment.

  
"Alright, this is going to be cold, but hold it to your nose," His nurse instructs, breaking up the slushied ice pack and handing it to him. Blaine nods, doing as he's told and holding it to the bridge of his nose. "That should hold the blood flow, keeping stuffing your nose with those tissues," He orders, holding out a brand new box for the boy. Blaine nods, taking his supporting hand from the side of the sink to grab the tissues. The proves to be a mistake because as soon as he does, the cotton feeling in his head wins over the muscles in his legs and if it wasn't for Kurt, he would have hit his head on the tile floor.

  
"Jesus, Blaine," Kurt holds his small form from behind, blood already starting to soak his shirt and his feeding tube. Luckily, it was only one nostril and not the one that had the tube in.

  
"Take him to the toilet lid," Damien says, grabbing the ice pack from Blaine's slipping fingers and removing it long enough for Kurt to set him gently on the lid.   
"'M sorry," Blaine murmurs, allowing Damien to hold the ice pack to his nose and grabbing a few tissues to hold under it, so his shirt won't be turned completely red.   
"Hey, no apologizing," Kurt says, a hand still resting on his back, partially to keep him upright.

  
"When you're losing blood straight from your head like that, it can be a little exhausting," Damien teases, replacing the tissue already. Blaine chuckles lightly, his eyes still starting to drift off.

  
"Why is it bleeding like that?" Blaine asks, taking in a deep breath.

  
"Remember when you had that cut a few months ago?" Damien says, removing the ice pack to resituate it.

  
"Yeah," Blaine says, his voice small and weak still.

  
"It's the same thing. The chemo thins your blood and no mater where it's coming from, it's going to come out like a waterfall," Damien says, removing the tissue, throwing it in the trash before reaching for another. Blaine nods again, his hand searching for something as he shifts a little, already feeling uncomfortable. Kurt gives his hand to his boyfriend's, squeezing tightly with a small smile. That was it.

  
"What caused it?" Kurt asks, running his thumb across the boy's knuckles.

  
"The cancer. For some it can be because it's dry or something, but my bet is from the chemo. It's not uncommon in the medications we're using for him. It's one of the many side effects to add to the very long list," Damien sighs, pulling the tissue away, happy to see blood wasn't already spouting from his nose. Kurt nods his head, turning back to his boyfriend.

  
"I think you're almost done. Blood isn't coming out as fast anymore," Damien announces, removing the ice pack from his patient's nose and tossing the tissues in the trashcan. "Why don't you get changed and get to bed and I'll clean up your bathroom, okay?"

  
"I'm sorry," Blaine breathes, shaking his head. "I think cleaning up my bloody bathroom is the last thing you want to do right now,"

  
"I'm a nurse, Blaine. It's my job and didn't Kurt just tell you not to apologize?" Damien chuckles, already cleaning up the few tissues that were thrown across the room. Blaine chuckles lightly as Kurt gets to his feet.

  
"Thank you," Blaine says, letting Kurt help him up and wrap an arm around his waist, leading him back to his room. Kurt sits him down on the ege of the bed and goes to the dresser, pulling out a clean shirt while Blaine removes his old, bloodied shirt and tosses it aside and onto the couch, not caring where it landed. He didn't have enough energy.   
"Here," Kurt hands it to him, allowing him to put it on himself.

  
"Thank you," Blaine repeats as Kurt stands in front of him, his hands on his hips.

  
"Of course," Kurt shrugs, heading off into the bathroom once more. Blaine runs his hands over his face, taking in a deep breath. He really just wants to go back to sleep, but Kurt is soon coming back out with a small, wet towel. "You have blood all over your face," Kurt chuckles, using the cloth to wipe at his mouth and nose. Blaine chuckles lightly, allowing his boyfriend to clean him up.

  
When he's finally done, he tosses the cloth aside with his shirt and stands in front of Blaine, taking in a deep breath. Blaine smiles, tugging at the boy's hips to hide his face in the stomach of his shirt. Kurt chuckles, petting the boy's head carefully, wrapping his arms around his neck, and holding him close.

  
"Where would I be without you?" Blaine teases, nuzzling his nose against the light fabric, making Kurt's smile widen.

  
"You'd be dead," Kurt jokes, but automatically regrets it, his face falling and his hands freezing. Blaine doesn't care about the joke, but he does notice the way Kurt freezes. He pulls back from his boyfriend, his hands still resting on his hips. "I'm sorry, that was-"

  
"Fine. It was fine. Please don't walk on eggshells with me, please. You're one of the few that haven't yet, and I don't want you to start now," Blaine breathes, his smile now gone. Kurt nods hesitantly and Blaine hides his face in his stomach once more.

  
"Maybe you should rest," Kurt suggests, rubbing the back of his head carefully.

  
"I can't. Cooper's supposed to call soon," Blaine replies softly, taking in a deep breath.

  
"He's really trying this time, huh?" Kurt says, pulling back from his boyfriend to look at him carefully, rubbing his shoulder gently.

  
"I think he's worried I'm going to die and he knows that if he doesn't try then he'll never forgive himself for it later when I'm six feet in the ground," Blaine says solemnly, looking down at his lap, his hands still resting loosely at Kurt's waist.

  
"That's not true," Kurt's small smile fades as he shakes his head. Blaine doesn't say anything. He just hangs his head down. He didn't want to lie and say Kurt was right, but he didn't want to argue about that. They argued over Blaine's fate too much already. It was one of the few things they fought over, but it was often. Maybe once or even two times a week. It was exhausting because nothing was going to get either of them to change their minds. Although, with Dr. Thomas using less positive words and encouragements, and the increase in Blaine's treatment, it seemed the curly haired boy was winning the long lasting argument. Even if Kurt was trying to deny it, but who really wanted to admit that their boyfriend could die?

  
"I love you," Kurt realizes the boy in front of him wasn't going to say anything, but he speaks anyway, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead.

  
"I love you too," Blaine nods, letting himself fall into Kurt's awaiting arms. Just as Kurt was wrapping his arms back around the boy, Blaine's phone started ringing, signaling that a FaceTime was coming through. The sitting boy breaks apart from his boyfriend, looking at his brother's name flash across his screen. He can't help the small smile that spreads across his face as he swipes the green button over. Kurt smiles back and sits himself down at the couch, pulling out his own phone.

  
"Squirt!" Cooper exclaims happily. The video was crap, considering it was a little fuzzy, the lighting was horribly dark and it was slow, but it was his brother in the flesh.   
"Hey Coop," Blaine smiles, holding the phone up so he could see his face in the small viewfinder in the corner of the screen. He slowly slides back against his pillows, a smirk on his face.

  
"How have you been, baby brother?" Cooper smiles. He looked good. Even with his brown hair messed up and sitting lazily on the top of his head, a plain white t-shirt on and the faint showings of a five o'clock, he still looked like a model. It frustrated Blaine to a point because he had to gel his hair every morning to perfection because without it, he looked horrible, but Cooper could just wake up and he looked great. It was unfair. Kurt always reassured him that Cooper and him weren't that different, considering both were like models, but Blaine never believed him.

  
"Good, I guess. Just tired," He shrugs, taking in a deep breath. "How about you?"

  
"Fine," Cooper replies. "New York is great. It's so much different from Ohio. You two are gonna love it here," Blaine's smile grows at those words. He knew the two of them would love it and just thinking about going made his heart happy.

  
"Where is your boyfriend?" Cooper asks, scrunching his brow and looking at Blaine's surroundings.

  
"Hi Cooper!" Kurt calls, getting to his feet to join his boyfriend in the viewfinder, so he could see the actor.

  
"There you are! I figured you weren't far," He chuckles lightly, waving his hand to the singer. Kurt smiles brightly and Blaine's cheeks start to turn a light pink, knowing it was true. They were inseparable. 

  
"Damien is here too," Blaine says, flipping the camera around and pointing it into the door of the bathroom. Damien was using some cleaner on the sink, still cleaning up the some blood from earlier. The nurse turns on his heels, a smile on his face.

  
"Hey, Cooper!" Damien smiles gently as Cooper waves back.

  
"What the hell happened in there?" Cooper asks, scrunching his brow with confusion. That was quite a bit of blood.

  
"Bloody nose," Blaine explains, turning to camera back around to show himself. Kurt sits himself down on the edge of the bed, pulling his phone out again as Blaine talked to his brother. Cooper nods his head, his shoulders relaxing. Clearly, everyone was fine.

  
"What's new around there?" Cooper asks, leaning back in whatever seat he was sitting in, the lighting getting a little bit brighter, showing off the light bags under his eyes, but he still looked good.

  
"Uh, I got a phone call a few days ago," Blaine says, his small smile fading.

  
"From who?" Cooper's face falls with worry. Blaine didn't look great talking about this, nervous even.

  
"Dad," Blaine says softly.

  
He never told anyone about the phone call, beside Kurt and Damien who were there when he got off the phone. He was too scared. He didn't want to talk about it. He kind of just wanted to forget about it, but it didn't look like that was going to happen, you know, considering it's all he ever thought about anymore. His father's words ringing through his ears.

  
"What? Dad called you?" Cooper automatically sits back up straight, his voice filled with concern along with his facial expression.

  
"Yeah, his therapist said he needed to. For redemption or acceptance. I don't know and I don't really care,"

  
"What did he say?" Cooper asks, shifting slightly, the video lagging worse and worse at time went on.

  
"He said he regretted some things, but he still called me a fag. He still told me that I'm disgusting. He said he regrets hitting me and mom and beating me a few weeks ago, but he wouldn't apologzie for much after that," Blaine says softly, shaking his head. He hated his father. Even if he did apologize for everything he's ever done, he'll never love him or even like him. He's just tolerate him.

  
"I can't believe he did that. Jesus! What an asshole," Cooper shakes his head, flicking his tongue over his teeth. If you ever wanted to get Cooper annoyed or angry, talking about their parents was the way to do it. "I wish I was still there. I wish I could visit him. I wish that Mom would have just let us throw his ass in jail for what he did. He got off too easy. We locked him up so he couldn't hurt us and here he is, hurting you,"

  
"It's fine. It's whatever. It doesn't bother me. I know it's wrong," Blaine shrugs his shoulder casually.

  
"No, it's not okay. It won't be okay, ever," He says seriously. Blaine hangs his head down.

  
"How's filming going?" Blaine asks, quickly changing the subject. He didn't want to talk about this anymore. He thought it would help, but it didn't. It just made it worse. He just knew that if he didn't tell Cooper and he somehow found out, he would flip out.

  
"Blaine-"

  
"Cooper," Blaine wouldn't let him continue. He didn't win a lot of argument anymore, because eventually, he gave up, too tired to care, but this one, he was going to win. They stare at each other for a few seconds, but eventually Cooper gives in, falling back against his seat and taking a deep sigh.

  
"Good. Everyone is really nice and it's my first major production beside the commercial, so it's awesome to film acual scenes with actual actors," Cooper can't help the small, excited smile that grows on his face. It worries Blaine.

  
He knew he should be happy for his brother, but he was nervous. He was scared he would love New York and filming so much that he would never leave. He would stay there and that would be the last of him until Kurt and he moved there themselves. He hated the thought of it. Blaine loved his brother and he didn't want to lose him like he did his parents.

  
"That's great," Blaine says despite his inside feelings and faked his enthusiasum.

  
They talk forever. Damien had finished, saying his goodbyes and left the three alone. Kurt had moved to the couch again, his back getting sore from hunching over for so long on the bed. Blaine had curled in on his side, still talking to his brother, but his eyes feeling heavy and tired. Cooper had moved to the hotel bed and was lying flat with the phone being held above him.

  
"You look exhausted," Cooper stops his speech about the food in New York and how much Blaine would love the cronuts to really look at his brother and the way he was falling asleep.

  
"I am," Blaine chuckles, hiding his face into his pillow. Cooper laughs lightly.

  
"We've been talking for awhile, how about I'll call you later in the week?" Cooper offers, running a hand over his face. Blaine sighs heavily, but nods eventually. He didn't want to say goodbye, his instincts still telling him that he wouldn't call again after this.

  
"Alright. Love you, Squirt," The actor smirks.

  
"Love you too, Cooper," Blaine replies, giving his brother one last smile before hitting the end call button and tossing his phone down on the bed.

  
"Finished?" Kurt asks from his seat on the couch. Blaine nods his head.

  
"Will you take a nap with me?" Blaine asks, a large grin on his face. Kurt chuckles, pretending to think about it. Blaine smiles as Kurt nods his head and gets to his feet. Blaine scoots over, pulling the blankets back for Kurt to crawl into like normal.

  
Blaine scoots back against his boyfriend as he drapes his arm over the bald boy's waist, holding him tightly to his chest.

  
"Goodnight," Blaine murmurs, already closing his eyes.

  
"Goodnight," Kurt chuckles, pressing a soft kiss to the side of his head.

 

-0-

 

"Come on, I'll tuck you in," Kurt says, his voice filled with worry and cracking on the vowels. Blaine groans from his spot on the cool, white tile floor and shakes his head, rolling on his side and curling up into a tight ball. Kurt sighs heavily, kneeling back down beside his boyfriend and putting a hand on his shoulder. "Baby, you're not going to feel better by lying here all afternoon. Maybe lying in bed will help," He suggest, watching Blaine wrap his arms around his midsection that was causing him the most pain.

  
The former Warbler shakes his head, and presses his face against the tile floor, but doesn't say anything.

  
"Blaine, you know I can't carry you, please, just work with me. I'll lay with you," he offers, tears starting to sting the back of his eyes. He hated seeing him like this. In pain and helpless.

  
For some reason, Blaine woke up from his nap with stomach pains, causing to puke whatever was left in his stomach, which was really just Lemonheads, mints, and the formula the nurse gave him for lunch earlier in the day.

  
"It hurts so bad," Blaine groans.

  
"Do you want me to get Damien for you?" Blaine shakes his head again, and curls into a smaller ball, which Kurt didn't even know was possible. "He said stomach pains were normal,"

  
"Not like this, please. Let us help you,"

  
"I don't need Damien. I-I-I just wanna go to bed," Blaine says, hot tears falling down his cheeks.

  
"Then come on. You have to get to your feet and I'll help you, but I can't carry you, Honey," Kurt reasons, his hand still rubbing his arm soothingly. Reluctantly, Blaine nods and uncurls slightly. Just enough so Kurt can take his hand and help him up to his feet. He wraps Blaine arm around his shoulders and uses his own arm to wrap around his waist, supporting most of his weight. Blaine hiccups from an up coming sob and Kurt's heart breaks for him. He, himself takes a deep breath to make sure he didn't just start sobbing uncontrollably in worry and heartache.

  
Kurt lays Blaine down and brings the covers up to his shoulders, allowing him to now curl up on his side and hide his face in his pillow.

  
"Do you want the heating pad?" Kurt asks. Blaine nods into his pillow, his brows furrowed with ache. "Okay," Kurt breathes, getting to his feet, digging through the dresser drawers until he found what he was looking for. The countertenor hurries back to his boyfriend, plugging it in and putting it over his stomach and under the covers.

  
"Take a nap, Sweetheart," Kurt says, running his thumb across his tear stained cheek. Whenever one of them were hurting, they always called each other baby names. It soothed both of them no matter what it was, and in a situation like this, Kurt would use any name under the sun even if it helped Blaine, even a tiny bit.

  
"It hurts like hell," Blaine whimpers, his voice muffled by his pillow. Kurt sighs heavily with understanding.

  
"I know it does. What do you need me to do? Damien may be able to give you some pain medication," he offers. "You finished your chemo already, so he should be able to give you something,"

  
"I don't wanna bother him, but there's some pain meds in my bathroom cupboard," Blaine says softly. Kurt shoots up from his spot on the bed and goes to the bathroom, opening up the cabinet above the sink.

  
He searches through the few bottles, before coming up with a prescription bottle with pain written on the label with Sharpie, something Blaine had definitely done so he didn't mix his pills up. He fills a short glass of full of water to wash it down. Kurt takes one of the small, white pills out and grabs the glass of water, back to his boyfriend, who was still curled up on his side.

  
"Sit up really quick," Kurt says, sitting himself gently on the edge of the bed. Blaine groans loudly, hiding his face into his pillow.

  
"Honey, these will help. Just for a few seconds,"

  
The boy groans again, but sit up on his elbow, taking the pill from Kurt's clammy hands, washing it down with the given glass of water.

  
"Can you get my sweatshirt?" Blaine asks, nodding towards the dark blue, Dalton hoodie thrown across the back of the couch. Kurt nods his head, quickly grabbing it after setting the glass of water down on the nightstand. He helps Blaine into it, tucking the heating pad between his t-shirt and his hoodie, before he fell back against the pillows. As he was pulling the covers up again, there was a knock on the doorframe of the door.

  
Blaine doesn't care about it and instead, brings his knees to his chest and pulls the blanket up farther. Kurt does look up and sees none other than Sam Evans standing in the doorway with a stack of comic books under his arm.

  
Since his first visit, he's been buying cheap comic books or letting Blaine borrow some of his own, giving him an excuse to see his best friend at least once a week.

  
"Hey, Sam," Kurt gives him a gentle smile.

  
"Hey," The blond breathes, coming in the rest of the way, setting the comic books down in one of the waiting chairs. "Hey, Blaine. How you doing?" Blaine grunts in response, cuddling up to his blankets and pillow. Sam's small smile fades, sticking his hands in his pockets.

  
"Is he okay?" The football player asks, his voice now filled with concern for his best friend.

  
"Stomach ache," Kurt replies, looking back down at his boyfriend, rubbing at his shoulder blade.

  
"From what?" He asks, scrunching his brow. Sam never was the brightest person. He knew when something was wrong, but he could be forgetful.

  
"Maybe the tumor in it," Blaine snaps, rolling his eyes, which goes unnoticed by the blond because he wasn't facing him, luckily. They both knew it would rip at Sam's heart to see his best friend so upset with him like that. Sam's shoulders fall.

  
"Shit. I'm sorry, Man," Sam shakes his head.

  
"It's fine," Kurt replies. "Honey, are you sure you don't want to get Damien? This isn't normal,"

  
"I'm sure, Kurt," Blaine grunts, biting his bottom lip, his arms still wrapped around his midsection. "I don't need to bother him with a petty stomach ache. You already gave me a pill. There's nothing else he can do,"

  
"You don't know that, B. He's a nurse. This is his job,"

  
"I'm fine. It's a dumb stomach ache,"

  
"Blaine, no it's not. Stop acting like this is some petty thing. You're in pain, let me help," Kurt replies, his brow scrunching with what was quickly turning into anger.

  
"Kurt, please. I just have a low pain tolerance. Just let me sleep," He whispers. Kurt sighs heavily, but eventually nods his head.

  
"Alright, fine," Kurt shrugs. He leans down, pressing a soft kiss to the side of bald head, before getting to his feet. As he starts to walk away, Blaine grabs his hand, squeezing tightly.

  
"I'm sorry. Please don't be mad at me," He breathes his voice just above a whisper. Kurt looks at him briefly. Tears were staining his cheeks and filling his eyes, his skin pale and his face full of pain.

  
"It's okay," Kurt assures him, squeezing his hand back. "I get it," He says, leaning down to kiss his lips briefly, Blaine kissing back, but his lips weak. He pulls back, squeezing his hand again before letting it go, allowing Blaine to hide his hands under the covers and snuggle against his pillow, shutting his eyes. Kurt nods towards the door and Sam follows him out of it, pulling on it so it was only open a sliver.

  
"I'm sorry. I picked a bad time," Sam clearly looked uncomfortable. Worried and uncomfortable. He's never experienced Blaine like this. No one except Cooper, Damien, Burt, and Kurt have. It was never a pretty sight at all. It scared all of them to death.

  
"It's okay. You didn't know," Kurt says, wrapping his arms around himself. The blond nods slowly, shoving his hands deep inside his jeans pockets.

  
"Is that normal?" Sam asks, clearing his throat out awkwardly and shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Kurt shrugs.

  
"Not normal, but it's happened before," He nods slowly to himself. Sam does the same looking at his shoes. They sit in silence, neither knowing what to say, until he heard Blaine from the other room.

  
"Kurt!" His voice is soft, but loud enough for both of the to hear.

  
"I should go back in there," Kurt says softly, taking in a deep breath, discreetly wiping at his eyes. He didn't want Blaine to know he was crying.

  
"Yeah," The football player nods his head, swallowing thickly. "I'll-I'll uh come back later this week. I left him some comic books though,"

  
"Thank you," Kurt says, putting a reassuring hand onthe boy's arm and giving him a look that said it all before going back in the room, shutting the door behind him. Sam stands in the hall for a few seconds, before nodding his head again, briefly looking back at the now shut door and walking towards the exit.

  
The countertenor makes his way in the hospital room again, sitting at the edge of the bed. Blaine was in the same position, but tears were now falling down his cheeks rapidly.

  
"Hold me?" He whimpers pathetically. Kurt nods his head slowly, concern filling his eyes as he sits against the wall and pulls his boyfriend so his head is resting on his chest, Blaine's arm draped across Kurt's waist, his eyes shut as Kurt rubs his back gently and soothingly.

  
As Blaine starts to drift off into sleep, Kurt's tears start to pour down his cheeks more rapidly. Never in his life has he ever been more worried about his boyfriend living to see next month as he was right now.

 


	23. Chapter twenty-three: Prom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been awhile. I know. I live in America, so we just got finished celebrating Thanksgiving and it kind of threw a damper into my writing time, but here it is and enjoy this one! Don't forget to kudos if you haven't already and leave a comment telling me what you think. :)

"Hey, Blaine," Finn knocks on the doorframe, tucking his free hand into his pocket. Blaine looks up from the pages of his book, his eyebrows raised.

  
"Hey, Finn. Why so dressed up?" Blaine asks, reaching for his bookmark beside him to place between the pages, nodding towards the freakishly tall boy's suit. He looked like he was going to a wedding, complete with a black tie, jacket, slacks, and shoes. He even remembered black socks.

  
"Oh, this?" Finn looks down at his attire, a small smile growing on his face. "Prom, it was lame, so I decided to come back here. Kurt wasn't really having a good time anyway," Finn nods.

  
"Oh right, I forgot you were going to that," He pauses, Finn's words setting in. "What do you mean Kurt didn't have a good time?" He furrows his brow.

  
"I'm sure he'll explain later," Finn shrugs.

  
"He always does," Blaine chuckles, setting his book beside him on the couch, folding his arms in his lap. "Did you and Rachel go?"

  
"Yeah, we did, but Kurt wanted me to give you this," He says, holding the black garment bag over his arm, that Blaine has just realized. His suit was a little more distracting. Finn looking good was always a distraction.

  
"What?" Blaine pulls his head back, slowly getting to his feet, and with shaking fingers, takes it by it's hanger.

  
"Yeah, he also said to get dressed now,"

  
"Why?"

  
"He didn't say," Finn shrugs. "Meet in the support group meeting room too. Marcus was looking for you,"

  
"What?" Blaine pulls his head back. Support group was yesterday, why would he need him at all?

  
"Just do it, Man. I don't want to get in trouble with your boyfriend. He can be scary," Finn chuckles lightly, making Blaine smile.

  
"Alright, I'll be out in a minute," He says. "You look good by the way, Finn,"

  
"Thanks, Blaine," Finn smirks, holding his chin up a little higher. Blaine nods his head and starts for the bathroom to go change. Blaine hangs the garment bag on the back of the door to pull it open, revealing the full black suit, including a white button up, slacks, jacket, shoes, socks, a bowtie and even a black beanie in the bottom of the bag. He smiles to himself, already removing his loose clothing to fit into the suit. Of course, knowing Kurt, it fit like a glove.

  
He finishes slipping on his shoes and grabs his bowtie from the bottom of the bag. The former Warbler uses the mirror to start tying it, but he couldn't his fingers were shaking, which was never unsual anymore and it frustrated the hell out of the boy.

  
"I used to wear these all the time," he shakes his head, trying again, but he only got one step further, due to the fact his shaking fingers made it impossible to tie. "Jesus," He groans, his brow furrowed.

  
"Blaine? Are you alright?" Finn asks, knocking on the door.

  
"Yeah, I-" he stops himself. "No, I can't tie my bowtie," Blaine admits, opening up the bathroom door to see his friend standing outside the door, concern written on his face. Finn gives him a small smile and reaches over, starting to tie it for him, clearly relieved it wasn't anything major.

  
"When did you learn to tie a bowtie?" Blaine asks.

  
"Quinn. When we were dating, she insisted I wear one to a few dinners and she made me learn," Finn says, adjusting the bow to make sure it wasn't crooked before patting the boy's shoulder. "Done," He smirks. Blaine returns it, turning to check himself out in the mirror. It's been a long time since he looked this good. He may be bald and pale, but with the suit on, he looked good. Not like he used to, but still good.

  
"Ready?" Finn asks, watching Blaine look at himself.

  
"Yeah," Blaine nods his head, slipping on the beanie from the side of the sink. Finn sticks his hands in his pockets and the pair start down the hall. Damien watches him from the nurse's station, a knowing smirk on his face, but Blaine was still confused. He felt like he was the only one who didn't know something. Finn led Blaine through the halls, his hands stuck deep into the pockets of his slacks until they reached the double wide doors.

  
Unsurprisingly, the doors were shut, but there was a large red bow on both of them.

  
"Finn, what the hell is going on?" Blaine chuckles, cocking his head to the side.

  
"Relax, will ya?" Finn laughs, shaking his head and pushing the doors open.

  
The lights were turned off, but you could still see clearly with all the different colored light around the room. Streamers, balloons, and other decorations filled the walls and hung from the ceilings.

  
Almost all of the New Directions, Warblers, and support group were there, all dressed in their best suits and prom dress. The only people there were missing were Quinn, Sadie, and Sebastian. Surprisingly, there was still enough room to dance.

  
Kurt was standing with a grin on his face, as music played softly from a boom box in the corner. He looked stunning. His auburn hair was pulled back into a coif and he was wearing a dark grey suit and finshed with a dark purple satin tie. Kurt had a smile on his face, loving and warm, making Blaine want to run into his arms and never let him go.  
"Holy shit," Blaine breathes, tears starting in his eyes. Kurt chuckles, moving forward to take his hand and pull him in. "Kurt, what the hell is going on?" Blaine laughs, cupping his boyfriend's face.

  
"I know that prom meant a lot to you. You only get one junior prom and I didn't want you to miss out on it," Kurt shrugs.

  
"Kurt," Blaine chuckles, tears now falling down his cheeks.

  
"No, don't cry, Honey," Kurt smiles lightly, tears still gathering in his eyes, despite his happy expression.

  
"I'm sorry," Blaine shakes his head, letting his shaking hands wipe at his cheeks. They were both giggling when Blaine leaned in for a kiss, soft and sweet, but quicker than they both wanted because everyone was staring.

  
"Everyone is here," Blaine pulls back slightly to look around the room, his arm still at the small of his boyfriend's back.

  
"You can't have prom with just you two. We know you're meant for each other, but you can't do everything by yourselves," Wes teases, a cup full of punch in his hand. Blaine hangs his head down, laughter shaking his shoulders.

  
"You guys didn't have to. I mean it's a Saturday night, I'm sure-"

  
"Blaine, stop talking before I smack the shit out of you," Nick jokes, rolling his eyes. "You should know us well enough that friends come first, always," He shrugs. Blaine laughs, shaking his head. That was so Nick.

  
"Thank you guys, really," Blaine smiles, turning his head to look at his boyfriend, his eyes full of love for the boy beside him. Kurt returns the smile, leaning forward to press a kiss to his lips, their foreheads pressed against each other's.

  
"Alright, alright, let's get back to prom!" Puck cheers, making the room laugh and cheer with him. Someone turned the music up and Kurt squeezed Blaine closer to his chest.   
"You look great in that suit," Kurt compliments, rubbing his shoulder.

  
"You made it, didn't you?" Blaine asks, looking to his boyfriend.

  
"I wouldn't give you anything less," Kurt replies, pecking his cheek quickly. Blaine laughs lightly, nuzzling his nose against the shoulder of Kurt's suit. "Come on, let's go dance a little bit," Kurt says, tugging on the boy's hand. Blaine happily follows him, letting him lead him through a few dancing songs.

  
It took a half hour before a slow song finally played. Blaine was out of breath, breathing hard and Kurt wanted him to take a break, but Blaine just shook his head.

  
"I'm fine. I want to slow dance with you," Blaine replies, tugging on the boy's hand and making him stay on the dance floor.

  
"Blaine, I-" Kurt starts, worry in his voice, as Blaine struggled to catch his breath.

  
"Listen to the song and then tell me no again," Blaine chuckles, his chest still heavy. Kurt stops, taking a second to listen to the beat. A small smile grazed his lips when he realized it was "Kiss me" by Ed Sheeran.

  
"I'll take a break after this one," Blaine promises, nodding his head. Kurt lets out a deep sigh, but nods his head, letting Blaine tug him into his arms.

 

_And your heart's against my chest, your lips pressed to my neck_   
_I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet_   
_And with a feeling I'll forget, I'm in love now_

  
Kurt wraps his arms around Blaine's neck, a smile on his face. Blaine encricles his own around his boyfriend's waist, pulling him close, their cheeks ghosting over each other's. Blaine smile with content, his eyes falling shut, breathing in the sweet smell of his boyfriend.

  
_Kiss me like you wanna be loved_   
_You wanna be loved_   
_You wanna be loved_   
_This feels like falling in love_   
_Falling in love_   
_We're falling in love_

  
Kurt starts to whisper the lyrics into his boyfriend's ear, sending shivers down Blaine's spine. The dark haired boy pulls the other boy flush to his chest, rubbing his back carefully.

  
_Settle down with me_   
_And I'll be your safety_   
_I was made to keep your body warm_   
_But I'm cold as the wind blows so hold me in your arms_

  
He's crying. Blaine's crying, his breathing still hard from dancing, but tears were now falling down his cheeks. He grips at Kurt's suit and Kurt can feel the change in his demeanor. Kurt doesn't stop singing though, knowing that Blaine loves it.

  
_Oh no_   
_My heart's against your chest, your lips pressed to my neck_   
_I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet_   
_And with this feeling I'll forget, I'm in love now_

  
Everyone was pairing up throughout the room, only a few singles left, but Blaine or Kurt weren't paying too much attention. They were too wrapped in each other. Blaine shuts his eyes, letting his tears fall down his cheeks freely. He didn't care.

  
_Yeah I've been feeling everything_   
_From hate to love_   
_From love to lust_   
_From lust to truth_   
_I guess that's how I know you_   
_So I hold you close to help you give it up_

  
"Jesus I love you," Blaine breathes out, pressing a soft kiss to Kurt's pale cheek, rubbing his hand up and down Kurt's back gently. Kurt doesn't say anything, but instead whispers the last verse into his boyfriend's ear, letting it say everything he needed to say himself.

  
_Kiss me like you wanna be loved_   
_You wanna be loved_   
_You wanna be loved_   
_This feels like falling in love_   
_Falling in love_   
_We're falling in love_

  
Blaine's smile grows as the song ends and they pull aways from each other, but just slightly. Just enough to pull each other in for a warm kiss, their tears washing together.   
"I can't lose you, B," Kurt blurts, not even thinking about what he was saying. Blaine nods his head, pressing their foreheads together.

  
"I know," Blaine says, looking straight into his eyes. Kurt shakes his head, pulling him in for a long kiss, his arms still wrapped around the boy's neck. They pull back when Blaine runs out of breath. "I love you, so much,"

  
"I love you too," Kurt gives him a small smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. As the next happy song starts playing, Kurt pulls Blaine's hand towards the punch bowl, pouring them both drinks, holding it out to his boyfriend. "It's sugar free, calm down," Kurt playfully rolls his eyes, and Blaine takes the cup.

  
"Come on, let's go sit," Kurt says, lacing their fingers together and pulling Blaine into one of the seats at the table covered with a white tablecloth.

  
"Kurt, what happened at prom?" Blaine asks, furrowing his brow, setting his glass down on the table. Kurt's smiles fades instantly.

  
"What do you mean?" Kurt clears his throat, looking down at his cup.

  
"Finn said you weren't having fun after what happened. What happened?" Blaine's heart rate starts to pick up, worry filling his voice and posture. He leans forward, taking the cup from Kurt's hand and setting it aside, so he can lace both their fingers together.

  
"You can talk to me, Honey," Blaine comforts, squeezing their hands together.

  
"They nominated me prom queen," Kurt scoffs, shaking his head.

  
"What?" Blaine furrows his brow.

  
"Dave won prom king too,"

  
"Baby," Blaine breathes, pulling Kurt's chair closer to his own. "What'd you do?"

  
"I ran out, Finn chased after me and after like a half hour of crying and trying to figure out what to do, I went in and accepted my crown. I knew that I had to because I couldn't live with a lump in my throat," Kurt shakes his head. Blaine smiles a little with pride. "All I could think about was you and courage, so I went in and accepted the crown. I told Dave that now was the time to come out, but he didn't. Instead of dancing with me, he left and I was stuck there, looking like an idiot," He shakes his head at the memory. "If it wasn't for Finn, I would had stood there all night,"

  
"What do you mean?"

  
"Finn came up and danced with me instead," Kurt smiles lightly, thinking about his brother coming to rescue him. "I just wish it was you there with me,"

  
"You know I would have done the same," Blaine says, letting his hands run over the boy's hips, rubbing gently. Kurt smiles, knowing it was true.

  
"I know you would have," Kurt says softly. Blaine leans forward, pressing a few soft kiss to the boy's cheeks, kissing his tears away, making Kurt giggle, it being music to his ears. Kurt wraps his arms around Blaine's neck as Blaine starts kissing the crook of his neck.

  
"Blaine!" Kurt giggles, trying to shy away from the boy, but Blaine wouldn't let him.

  
"Jesus, you guys are disgusting," Santana rolls her eyes at the couple on her way to the punch bowl, Brittany having her fingers laced with the Latino girl's. The couple pulls apart, smiles on both of their faces.

  
"Seriously though, I am so proud of you," Blaine says, letting his hands run across Kurt's thighs gently. Kurt smiles, his cheeks turning a light pink, not knowing what to say. So, he just leans forward, pressing a soft, but brief kiss to his lips. "And thank you, for all of this,"

  
"Of course, you know I'd do anything for you," Kurt says with a smile. Blaine nods his head, pecking his lips once more.

  
"Hey, it's prom and you aren't even dancing. What the hell, man?" Nick teases, coming up to the couple, his hand interlocked with Jeff's and his free one cradling a cup of punch. The two pull apart, turning to the Warblers dressed in suits and ties, but Nick's looked a little messy, his tie loose and his jacket unbuttoned and wrinkled from dancing, even his hair was a mess, a little damp with sweat. Jeff didn't look much better than his boyfriend.

  
"I got tired," Blaine shrugs casually, pulling apart from Kurt, but still close enough to link their fingers together. Nick's small smile fades, but he just nods.

  
"Well, we're going to get back out there, because you only have one junior prom and I am dying to spend it with this boy," Nick teases, finishing off his drink and pecking Jeff's cheek, making Jeff playfully roll his eyes.

  
"See you later," Jeff smiles, allowing his boyfriend to tug him back onto the dance floor, already dancing to the next song before they were both even on the dance floor.

  
"Come on, I wanna go dance again," Blaine gets to his feet, starting for the dance floor, but just ends up stumbling over his feet and if it wasn't for Kurt, he would have fell on his ass. Both of their smiles disappear as Kurt sets him back onto his feet, Blaine's hands on Kurt's chest, his breathing heavy.

  
"Blaine," Kurt warns, holding onto his boyfriend tightly.

  
"You okay, Dude?" Finn asks, coming beside the two, obviously seeing the incident, making Blaine wonder how many people had seen that.

  
"Yeah, I'm fine. It was nothing. I just lost me footing. I must have-" He was rambling, his voice fast and hard to understand.

  
"Blaine," Kurt stops him, his brow furrowed, his boyfriend still holding onto Kurt like his life depended on it.

  
"Kurt," Blaine returns, swallowing thickly and turning to him, begging him not to say more, but he doesn't listen.

  
"That wasn't nothing, that-"  
"Was stupid. Can we go dance now?" Blaine asks, clearing out his throat and look down at his feet.

  
"Blaine, are you alright?" Marcus was coming over to the trio, putting a hand on his arm, but Blaine smacks it away.

  
"I'm fine. Really," He nods, squeezing Kurt's hand tightly, begging for him to lead him away at this point.

  
"Blaine, it's not nothing, it-" Kurt starts, but Blaine stops him, releasing Kurt's hand instantly and shaking his head.

  
"I'm fine. I'm standing just fine, now. I can keep walking. I'm alright," Blaine scoffs. "It's not like it's the first time that's happened. It's happens all the time. I mean, I-"

  
"How often?" Marcus asks, scrunching his brow with concern.

  
"Can we talk about this later? I just want to enjoy my junior prom," He begs, his voice going soft as he looks at the floor. The three exchange a glance. "Tomorrow, I'll do whatever you want, but I just want to dance with my boyfriend for the rest of the night," He tries again. Marcus takes a deep breath, putting his hands on his hips.

  
"Okay, but we're-"

  
"Telling Dr. Thomas tomorrow, got it," Blaine nods his head gently. Marcus takes a heavy breath, nodding his head again.

  
"Alright," He bargains. Blaine slips his hand through Kurt's once more, tugging him back onto the dance floor.

  
Marcus lets him go, but spends the rest of the night watching the boy closely, so did Finn and Kurt.

 

-0-

 

It was a normal day of glee practice. Rachel was yelling at people to get the move right, Mercedes and Santana were yelling back, Brittany was texting on her phone, Finn, Puck, and Mike were trying to get the girls to calm down, and Mr. Schue was just rubbing his temples, willing his students to stop with his mind.

  
Kurt was just rolling his eyes at everything the girls were screaming and willing the clock to move faster so he could go to Blaine faster.

  
"Alright! Alright!" Will shouts, coming between the three girls, shaking his head. The room falls silent, waiting for him to continue. "We don't have long before Nationals. A week. We need to be working not arguing," He sighs heavily. Rachel crosses her arms over her chest, her nostrils flared and her lips pursed. When he started to speak again, Kurt's phone started ringing from beside the stage. Kurt's heart sank at the personalized ringtone for Damien.

  
"Kurt, is that yours?" Mr. Schue sighs, taking in a sigh of annoyance.

  
"Yeah, it is," Kurt confirms, the phone still ringing.

  
"We agreed on no phones during-"

 

"It's Damien," He says, quickly hurrying over to his bag, digging through it to get to his phone.

  
"Kurt, who the hell is that? We're trying to-"

  
"Damien, what's wrong?" Kurt hurries his words out, getting to his feet, his heart pounding in his chest.

  
"Kurt, where are you?"

  
"At Glee rehearsal, what does it matter? What happened?" Kurt breathes. Everyone was watching him at this point, looking to see what was wrong. The tears in his eyes and his shaking form was making them all worry.

  
"It's Blaine," Damien says softly. Kurt chokes on a sob, clutching at his chest.

  
"Is he okay? Where is he?" Kurt asks frantically.

  
"Kurt, the cancer spread," His heart stops at Damien soft, comforting voice. His fingers lose his grip on his phone and if it wasn't for Finn catching him, he would have collapsed on the floor.  
"No, no, no, no," Kurt repeats, his voice thick with tears. Sam's the one who picks Kurt's phone back up, speaking to Damien.

  
"Kurt, what happened?" Finn asks, holding him close to his chest, worry filled his voice and face.

  
"Finn, it-it spread. The cancer spread," Kurt cries, hiding his face into Finn's sweaty hoodie. Everyone freezes, Sam being the exception who was still talking to Damien about Blaine's situation.

  
"It's okay," Finn tries, sucking in a deep breath.

  
"No, it's not. Nothing is okay. Stop spouting that bullshit to me," Kurt cries, gripping onto his brother like his life depended on it and ducking his head so he can curl in on himself. "This was everything we were so worried about. This was everything we cried about, oh my God,"

  
Finn doesn't know what to say to that, so he just holds his brother tightly and doing the best he can.

  
"Alright, we'll be there soon," Sam says before hanging up the phone and kneeling down in front of Kurt. "Kurt, Blaine's still alive," He says, putting a reassuring hand on the boy's knee, his own tears gathering in his eyes. "It spread to his liver, which isn't really uncommon when it comes to the type of cancer he has. They're doing surgery later tonight,"

  
"What do you mean? They can't just remove his liver," Kurt sniffles, his face stained a light crimson from his tears tracks.

  
"I don't know. I don't understand doctor talk, but Damien said he's been asking for you," Sam says. Kurt doesn't say anything.

  
"I'll drive you, alright?" Finn says, looking down at his brother. Kurt nods slowly. "Puck, can you-" Before even finishes the sentence, Puck is already gathering Kurt's things, tossing them in his bag. Finn gets to his feet, helping Kurt do the same, who had tears now pouring down his cheeks with worry and hurt.

  
Puck hands Finn Kurt's bag and Finn slings it over his shoulder after digging through it to grab his keys.

  
"I'm sorry, Schue. We'll-"

  
"No, it's fine," Mr. Schuester replies, putting a hand on Finn's shoulder. Finn nods slowly, guiding Kurt out of the auditorium and to the parking lot.

  
"I'm down there," Kurt sniffles, pointing with his finger where Kurt's new-old car sat.

  
After the car accident, Burt kept an eye out for new cars coming in and just last weekend, he found a cheap silver Toyota Corolla for his son to drive back and forth to Westerville to visit Blaine.

  
Finn nods his head, leading his brother to the back of the parking lot and into his car, Kurt slipping into the passenger side and Finn into the driver's side.

  
As soon as they start on the road, Kurt pulls out his phone and opens his messages with his boyfriend. His fingers hover over the keyboard, not knowing what to say, but wanting to say something. Finn breaks himself from his thoughts.

  
"I'm sure Blaine will be fine," Finn tries, his brow furrowed like he always did when he was trying to find the right words. Kurt scoffs, shaking his head.

  
"Everyone keeps telling me that and I even tell that to Blaine, but it never happens. He never gets better. He always just gets worse and worse," Kurt replies, deciding on just locking his phone and letting it slip into his pocket. He didn't know what to say. "I'm honestly just so scared. Blaine's more than just my boyfriend. He's my best friend, he's my soulmate, he's my life and if I lose him, I don't think I'd be able to continue, Finn. I really don't,"

  
Finn shifts in his seat slightly, furrowing his brow. He hated hearing his brother talk like this.

  
"I'm sorry, I doubt you wanna hear about this," Kurt says, wiping the tears from his eyes once more, sniffling back his tears, willing them to stop.

  
"No, keep talking," Finn urges on, nodding his head.

  
"I just-" he pauses, trying to find the right words. "I kept telling him, that no, we won't have to worry about it spreading, and that we'll make it to New York together and we'll be okay, but we're not," Kurt hiccups, his voice getting dark with sobs. "We're not okay and it spread, and every day that it gets closer to our flight, the less I feel it's going to happen,"

  
Finn doesn't know what to say. What was he supposed to say to that?

  
"This all just sucks!" Kurt groans. throwing his hands up with frustration and smacking his hand on the dashboard, making Finn jump slightly. "Blaine should be at rehearsals with us and have to worry about homework, not if he'll wake up the next damn day. It's not fair! Ugh!"

  
His brother opens his mouth to say something, but he just closes it, unable to find the right words. He never was the best at comforting people, especially people he cares about. They sit like that the rest of the way to the hospital, in silence, both not knowing what else to say.

  
When they arrive, Kurt unbuckles his seatbelt, but hesitates over the door handle. Finn shuts off the car, his head down. Before the taller boy can react, Kurt's throwing himself on him, wrapping him in a hug.

  
"Thank you, Finn. I know we're not techinically brothers, but you've never been anything less to me than exactly that. You're my brother and the best one I could ask for,"   
Finn slowly wraps his arms around his brother's small form, his brow furrowed with a little confusion, but more than anything, understanding.

  
"Yeah, you too. You know I'd do anything for you, Kurt," Finn pats his back comfortingly. Kurt nods, pulling back from the football player and stepping out from the car, Finn not far behind him. Kurt hurries his steps, now worrying about Blaine being alone, going through this by himself.

  
As soon as he steps inside he makes a beeline for Blaine's room, but at the sight of Damien at the nurses station, concern written on his face, he stops. Damien looks up to the boy, opening his arms for him. Kurt lets out a choked sob, hurrying into his tight embrace, allowing the taller man to wrap his arms around his shoulders.

  
"Breathe, it's alright," He promises, rubbing his shoulder carefully in a fatherly way.

  
"What if it's not?" Kurt wonders, his voice hiccuping on a few sobs.

  
"Then you guys will get through it. I know you will," Damien assures him. Kurt nods his head slowly, taking a few deep and dark breathes. Damien pulls back from him.

  
"Just stay strong for Blaine right now, okay? Dr. Thomas will be in there in a little bit to talk to him a little bit more about what's going to happen,"

  
"Okay," Kurt nods his head. Damien reaches over the desk of the nurse's station, grabbing a tissue for him. Kurt chuckles lightly, wiping at his eyes and nose.

  
"Marcus is in there with him right now," Damien says, putting a hand on Kurt's shoulder comfortingly. Kurt nods again, turning to look at his brother had had come in with him.   
"I'll go call Burt," Finn says, giving him a small smile and taking his phone from his pocket. Kurt takes one final deep breath before entering Blaine's hospital room.

  
Blaine was lying in bed, his shoulders shaking and his face hiding in Marcus's chest, his hands gripping at the back of his blazer.

  
"I don't wanna die," Blaine sobs. Marcus has a furrowed brow, his glasses a little fogged up with silent tears.

  
"You'll be alright, Blaine," He tries to comfort, rubbing his back carefully. The therapist looks up at Kurt, his shoulders relaxing slightly at the sight of him, even if he looked horrible with his sweaty jumpsuit, messy hair, red face, and shaking form.

  
"Hey, Kurt's here," Marcus says softly, urging the small boy off his chest, so he can see his boyfriend in the doorway.

  
"Kurt," It's all Blaine has to say before Kurt is taking Marcus's spot, hurrying through the door and cradling his boyfriend in his arms.

  
"Shh," Kurt tries, petting his head gently and rocking them back and forth.

  
"It spread," Blaine cries, gripping at his boyfriend and slowly crawling into his lap.

  
"I know, I know," Kurt whispers, taking deep breath in through his nose and out through his mouth to make sure a sob didn't come out. He got his time to cry and he did it on the way here, now it's time to hold his boyfriend and make sure he was okay. Marcus gives them a sympathetic look, going into the bathrom and coming out with a box of tissues. Kurt thanks him just as Blaine pulled back, pressing their foreheads together.

  
Kurt grabs a tissue and pats at Blaine face gently, making Blaine's shoulders go slack.

  
"Hey, you're alright," Kurt nods, sniffing back his own tears to wipe at Blaine's. Marcus rubs Blaine's shoulder briefly before turning to leave the two alone.

  
"What if this is it? What if this is just the point they give me a date like they did Sadie?" Blaine whispers, letting his hands rest loosely on Kurt's waist.

  
Kurt wants to tell him to shut up about that and just ignore that, but he can't. He can't sit there and ignore everything going on anymore. They need to talk about things, not bottle them up. Kurt opens his mouth, but closes it quickly and cups Blaine's cheek in his palm, rubbing the pad of his thumb across his sunken in cheek.

  
"Then we'll deal with it. Together," It's the only thing he can think of. The only thing that he can even try to say.

  
"Promise you won't leave me," Blaine manages, his voice getting caught on another sob. Kurt stops the rubbing of his thumb, his eyes filling with worry.

  
"Never. I will never leave you, ever," Kurt assures him, clearly taken aback by his very real worry in his boyfriend's eyes.

  
"Okay," Blaine says, his voice just above a whisper. Blaine slowly leans in, pressing a soft kiss to his boyfriend's lips, not a peck, but closed mouthed, still passionate and full of love.

  
"Ever," Kurt repeats, pecking his lips once more, quickly this time, before pulling back to stare into his boyfriend's eyes.

  
"I love you so much," Blaine whispers. Kurt manages a small smile.

  
"I love you too," Kurt says, wrapping his arms tightly around Blaine's neck and pulling him in for a few sweet neck kisses.

  
When they pull back, their noses pressed together, there's a knock on the doorframe. They don't jump apart, but they do scoot away a little, Kurt's hand still resting at the small of his back.

  
"Hey, boys," Dr. Thomas greets, pulling up a backless stool.

  
"Hi," Blaine sniffles, reaching for another tissue from the box Marcus had brought them. Kurt watches him with worry,

  
"Okay, so, as you know, we found some cancer spots in your liver today. So, yes, the cancer has spread, but I don't think this will be the end of you," He adds. Blaine's shoulders instantly relax and he even falls on Kurt's shoulder.

  
"Although, we need to do surgery soon. If it does get worse, than that would be a different story," He says, taking in a deep breath.

  
"Are you just going to take it out? I don't understand," Blaine shakes his head, sniffling back his tears.

  
"Some of it. We want to run a few more tests, check the functionality of your liver and look at the spots a bit more closely to choose how much we should take out. See, your liver can renew itself, so if we have to, we can remove up to half of it. Hopefully, we won't have to, but it may be a possibility,"

  
Blaine and Kurt both nod along with the doctor, not really knowing where to interject, only understanding about half of it.

  
"Blaine, don't worry. This actually happens quite a lot with gastric cancer. It's the first place to spread to. It's called liver resection. So, we're going to take you in for more testing and take you in for surgery by tonight, so try not to eat or drink anything until then, okay?"

  
"Okay," Blaine nods his head again, Kurt's softly rubbing at the small of his back, which was instantly comforting him.

  
"After the surgery, we're not going to postpone chemotherapy anymore because I don't want to take any chances, but radiation we'll push back a week or so, just until your scar heals a little," He explains, his brow furrowed with concentration.

  
"There are a few routine things you'll have to do after your surgery though," He starts, taking a breath, thinking of what he needed to say. "We'll first give you some medications-"

  
"Great, more to add to the pile," Blaine rolls his eyes, Kurt does the same, but not at Dr. Thomas, but at his boyfriend. His doctor just chuckles lightly, hanging his head.

  
"Right, more to add, like an antibiotic to prevent infection and some pain medication, which we'll decide which one we want to describe when we see how bad your pain is, okay?" Again, Blaine nods, not knowing what to say.

  
"Next, there will be a few breathing and coughing exercises. As long as you're awake, you should be coughing and breathing every hour in order for you liver to heal strong and the way it should,"

 

  
"How?" Blaine asks, curling in a little farther into his boyfriend.

  
"Hold a pillow to your cut, take deep breaths and hold it. Then push it out with a strong cough. It's going to hurt, and sometimes you'll even cough up some nasty sputum. We'll probably give you a spirometer, which will help to make sure they're deep enough. Just do about ten of those and you're golden. Like I said, it's going to hurt, escpecially the first couple days, but you have to do it. It will help from getting a lung infection."

  
"Okay," Blaine says softly, sniffling back his tears. Kurt holds him closely, pressing a soft kiss to the top of his head, as Dr. Thomas continued talking some more.

  
"Also, you'll have to do a lot of walking. A lot of walking around the hospital, a few laps every few hours because deep vein thrombosis is really easy to get and it's dangerous,"

  
"What is that?" Kurt asks, petting Blaine's head carefully in the way he knew that Blaine liked, it instantly comforting and relaxing him.

  
"Deep vein thrombosis is a condition that happens after surgeries where blood clots form inside blood vessels. It happens really easily and we're going to do everything we can to make sure that doesn't happen. Walking will help prevent blood clots and decrease your risk of a lung infection. It helps the blood from pooling in your legs, which causes the clots to form," He explains, using his hands as every doctor does when he's talking to a patient.

  
"Now, if you have even the slightest fever, horrible pain, the wound turns read or swollen, or your stitches come loose, or you have chest pains, you need to get in contact with me or a nurse as soon as possible. Those things can lead to infection, which is the last thing you need right now. Okay?"

  
"Okay," Blaine says almost robotically. Dr. Thomas sighs heavily, hanging his head down, before speaking once more, lifting his head to look into Blaine's honey colored eyes.  
"No, you're not okay," The dark-haired doctor says, crossing one leg over the other. Blaine takes a deep breath. "Look, I know you're worried. You have every right to be and I know it's not just this surgery that's scaring you either,"

  
His patient shifts under his doctor's gaze, leaning a little farther into his boyfriend's arms.

  
"I'm not going to sit here and make empty promises, but I will tell you that you are in good hands. We'll never do anything to intentionally harm you and we're all rooting for you," He assures him, raising his eyebrows to make sure he was understanding everything that was being said.

  
"Everyone in this hospital is rooting for you, Marcus, Damien, Molly, Cooper, Kurt, and me, but you won't beat it if you don't think you will. Half of the battle is beating your mind," He reminds him, giving him a small smile. Blaine nods his head again, the words setting in.

  
"Alright, I'll send someone in soon to come get you to run some tests and I'll see you in a few hours for your surgery, okay?"

  
"Yeah," Blaine nods again, taking a deep breath. Dr. Thomas gives him one last smile before patting his leg and getting to his feet. He slides the stool to the corner of the room and makes an exit. Kurt opens his mouth to speak, but Blaine cuts him off with a large hug, hiding his face in his neck.

  
"Blaine-" Kurt starts.

  
"Shh. I don't wanna talk anymore," Blaine shakes his head, pressing a soft kiss to the crook of Kurt's neck and taking in a deep breath. Kurt manages a small smile.

  
"Okay," He says softly, letting his arms wrap around his boyfriend's waist, pulling him as close as he can get.

  
"Do you remember when we met?" Blaine asks.

  
"I thought you didn't want to talk," Kurt chuckles lightly. Blaine playfully rolls his eyes, pulling back and linking their hands together, letting them sit in their laps. At Blaine's serious face, his smile falls, carefully reaching up to cup Blaine cheeks with his palm, rubbing at the skin.

  
"Of course I do. I stopped you on the staircase at Dalton. I had no idea where I was going and I asked you what was going on. I was trying to spy on you guys, per Puck's request, but I was horrible at it," Kurt smiles a dopey, in love grin, that usually Blaine had on his face. Blaine chuckles at the memory.

  
"You were an adorable spy," Blaine says, placing a quick kiss onto his nose.

  
"Why'd you ask?" Kurt says, his smile still lingering.

  
"Did you ever think we'd be.....here?" Blaine says, shaking his head slightly.

  
"No," Kurt shakes his head. "I was hopelessly in love with you and you were not in love with me,"

  
"No, I was. I just didn't know it yet. You're my soulmate, my one true love and my heart knew something my mind didn't. I mean, I wouldn't have taken your hand or led you the long way around the school for nothing," Blaine chuckles. Kurt gasps.

  
"You told me it was shortcut!"

  
"No, it wasn't," Blaine shakes his head, pressing a soft kiss to his boyfriend's forehead.

  
"Oh my God and you say you're bad at romance," The countertenor shakes his head and rolls his eyes at his boyfriend. Blaine face falls again, ducking his head.

  
"No," Kurt blurts, his smile fading into a frown. Blaine snaps his head up, his brow furrowed. "No, I didn't think we'd be here," He scoffs. "Not at all. I hoped we would end up together, but even after we started dating, I had no idea we'd be here, not at all," He pauses. "I kind of just figured we had both endured our bad times for awhile. I mean with Karofsky, my mom, the bullies, the Sadie Hawkin's dance, your bullies, your brother, your dad," He shakes his head. They really have been through a lot. "I figured that was it at least for a little bit. I thought things were looking up, but two years later, here we are, in a hospital room, with one of the scariest words in the dictionary hanging above our heads,"

  
"At least it's not just one of us. If I had never met you, I don't think I would have the guts to do it. I mean, if you weren't here, my dad would be and I think I would have given up," He shakes his head. Kurt frowns, his brow furrowed.

  
"Baby," Kurt breathes, pulling him closely to press a soft kiss to his boyfriend's lips.

  
"I'm serious. You're my rock, Kurtie,"

  
"Kurtie? We've been together two years and I don't think I've ever heard you call me that," Kurt chuckles, rubbing their noses together.

  
"I like it. It rolls off the tongue quick nicely. Kurtie," He repeats.

 

"Shutup and kiss me, you fool," the auburn haired boy teases, leaning in for another sweet kiss. Blaine laughs into it, pulling back with a smack.

  
"Kurtie," He whispers, making Kurt roll his eyes playfully, still pecking his lips once more.

  
"I know this isn't how we pictured our relationship going, but we still love each other and that's all the matters," Kurt says, his teasing smile disappearing. Blaine nods in agreement.

  
"Yeah," He says softly, his voice just above a whisper. Kurt wraps his arms around the boy's neck, pulling him for another tight hug, practically squeezing him to death, making Blaine laugh.

 

-0-

 

"I don't wanna do this," Blaine scoffs, shaking his head and putting his hand over his forehead.

  
"You'll be fine," Kurt promises, squeezing his hand tightly. Blaine takes a deep breath, nodding his head slowly as Kurt removes his hand from his forehead and presses a soft kiss to it.

  
"He's right, you'll be just fine," Burt assures him, squeezing his foot carefully. Burt, Carole, and Finn were all here for the surgery, knowing this was a big deal for him. It was around dinner time, so Blaine told them it was okay to go home, but they refused. Blaine was family and they weren't going to leave no matter how hard he tried.

  
Blaine looks down at his boyfriend's father, nodding his head, trying to believe him.

  
"You just go to sleep for a little while, then wake up, that's it," Carole says, a small smile on his face. Blaine sucks in a deep breath and Kurt smiles at his nervousness, rubbing his thumb across his knuckles.

  
"Hey Blaine!" Dr. Thomas greets, Damien and Molly right behind him. The two boys looks up from each other's eyes and turned to look at their new visitors.

  
"Hey," Blaine chuckles nervously.

  
"Did you take a shower and use that soap like I asked you to?" His doctor asks, his eyesbrows raised expectingly. Blaine nods his head.

 

"Yeah, everything on the list is done," He replies, sucking in a deep, nervous breath. Kurt smiles gently, placing a quick kiss to the top of his head.

  
"Good," He says, standing at the bottom of his bed, his hands on his hips. Kurt gives the boy once last peck to the forehead and gets to his feet, so Damien can get to his patient.

  
"You ready?" Damien asks, a small encouraging smile on his face.

  
"No," Blaine chuckles nervously, not allowing Kurt to let go of his hand.

 

"You'll be fine. It'll be a piece of cake," Damien assures him.

  
"Alright, let's get this show on the road, okay?" Dr. Thomas says, a bright smile on his face. Blaine's smile fades and Kurt squeezes his hand. Damien sets the brakes off his bed and Kurt kisses Blaine's white knuckles before letting them go completely, so Molly can guide the other side of the bed. They only got a few paces towards the door before Blaine was yelling.

  
"Wait, wait, wait," Blaine says, his heart racing a million miles an hour. Damien scrunches his brow, looking between Molly and Blaine. "Kurt, come here a sec,"

  
With a furrowed brow, Kurt hurries to the top of the bed. Blaine pulls him down, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. Kurt chuckles lightly into it, pecking his lips after the lingering kiss.

  
"I love you," Blaine finishes. Kurt smiles, whispering against his ear.

  
"Courage,"

  
Blaine's shoulders relax, letting his hands fall back onto his chest.

  
"Okay, I'm ready," Blaine nods. Kurt smirks, as does Damien, who looks up at Kurt, winking at the boy. A light flush creeps onto Kurt's neck when he realizes they had an audience for that.

  
Kurt watches him leave, hiding the nerves for his boyfriend, but as soon as he was out of the room, he takes in a shaky breath. Knowing, he was nervous, Burt comes beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder, squeezing him tightly.

  
"Stop worrying so much. You're just like your mom," Burt chuckles. Kurt looks up at his dad, his lips forming a small grin at his father's words.

  
"You better go call Cooper now, or he's gonna kill ya," Burt says, raising his eyebrows.

  
"Oh yeah, he will," Kurt says, breaking from his father's grasp to go to his bag and pull out his phone.

  
"How long was his surgery supposed to take?" Finn asks, looking up from his phone briefly to look at his parents.

  
"Dr. Thomas said no more than four hours. They're removing quite a few spot in his liver and he said it was tedious work," Kurt replies, looking through his contacts to find the actor's name and hitting the green call button on his name. As it rings, Kurt starts to pace up and down the room and Burt takes a seat beside his wife, wrapping his arm around the woman's shoulders.

  
"Kurt, how is he? Is he out?" Cooper's frantic voice is heard, rushed and worried.

  
"No, he just left though," Kurt replies, a small smile on his lips.

  
"Oh," Kurt can't see the man, but he knows he's just relaxed almost totally.

  
"It'll be a few hours before he's out, but as soon as I know something, I'll let you know," Kurt says.

  
"Thanks, Kurt. You really are the best brother-in-law anyone could ask for,"

  
"What? We aren't married, Coop," Kurt chuckles lightly, scrunching his brows. At the word married, Burt perks his head with confusion.

  
"Oh come on, we all know you and Blaine are going to get married one day," Cooper replies.

  
"I swear you say this shit, just to make me uncomfortable," Kurt rolls his eyes, ignoring the heat flaming in his cheeks. Cooper laughs at the boy.

  
"Yeah, yeah. Call me when you know anything, alright? I have to go to a photoshoot,"

  
"Of course. Bye Cooper, have fun," Kurt sighs, hanging up the phone and stuffing it in his pocket after hearing the line go dead.

  
"What was he talking about marriage for?" Burt asks, furrowing his brow.

  
"Nothing. It was nothing," Kurt clears out his throat, crossing his arms over his chest. Burt watches him wearily, but shakes it off after Carole playfully hits his chest.   
That's when Kurt starts to pace across the room, up and down, up and down, because he was nervous and that's what he does when he's nervous. Pace.

  
"Kurt, you're going to wear a hole in the floor," Burt sighs, watching his son's track and few scuff marks on the floor.

  
"So?" Kurt shrugs, sucking in a breath and continuing his pacing.

  
"You're making me dizzy, dude," Finn says, cocking his head to the side. His brother rolls his eyes.

  
"I think you'll be fine," Kurt grumbles. "Go back to playing on your phone," The boy nods towards the device in Finn's hand.

  
"It died," He shrugs, clearly unhappy by that fact. Kurt rolls his eyes again, walking over to his brother and taking his phone from his hands, much to Finn's dismay, before plugging it in with Blaine's charger at his bedside.

  
"There," The countertenor says, crossing his arms over his chest and continuing to pace across the room, making Burt roll his eyes at his son.

 

Four hours later, and they still haven't heard anything.

  
"It's been four hours. They said it would be four hours max. They-" Kurt starts, checking his phone for the time for what felt like the millionth time today.   
"Kurt, calm down. They probably just-" Burt tries, but Kurt cut him off with his own worries.

  
"What if something went wrong? What if they cut an artery or something? What if he crashed? Oh God," Kurt stops his pacing to run a hand through his hair, which everyone knew was not a good sign.

  
"Hey, what are you worrying about? It's only nine o'clock. They're a few minutes over, take a breath, son," Burt gets to his feet, taking his son's hand down from his head and putting them at his side. "Okay? Deep breaths. I'm sure he's fine," The mechanic assures him, a small smile on his face. Kurt nods his head slowly, taking his father's advice and sucking in a deep breath.

  
"You're right. You're right, he-" Kurt stops talking when he hears Damien's voice in the doorway.

  
"Hey guys," Damien smiles, pushing Blaine's bed back into the room. Kurt's shoulders instantly relax, a small grin forming on his face at the sight of his boyfriend, even if he was knocked out. "He did fine, Kurt. I promise," Damien assures him, practically reading his mind. Kurt smiles gently and as soon as Damien has the brake on, Kurt is taking a seat on the edge of his boyfriend's bed and slipping his hand in his.

  
"Everything went well, then?" Burt asks, sticking his hands in his pocket and a smirk at seeing his sons together again, even if they were only apart for a few hours.

  
"Perfect. It went off without a hitch. Dr. Thomas is sending for a few tests tomorrow, to make sure it stays well, but other than that, he did great. There were more spots than originally intended, but we took them out and he's fine. We can focus on his stomach tumor from now on,"

  
"Awesome," Burt cheers, putting a hand on Kurt's shoulder and squeezing carefully.

  
"He has drainage tubes in right now, but those should be removed next week. He will definitely be sore, but that was to be expected," Damien smiles at the couple, staring at the way Kurt was lost in Blaine's sleeping form. "Alright, I'll see you guys later tonight to check up on him," With that, Damien makes his exit, leaving the family alone.

  
"I told you he was just fine," Burt says, patting Kurt's shoulder. Kurt smiles gently, bringing Blaine's hand so it rests in his lap after pressing a soft kiss to the back of it.

  
"I feel like I can breathe again," Kurt chuckles. Burt smiles brightly, letting his hand rest of Kurt's shoulder. "I never thought I'd be the protective kind, but I swear every time he's away from me anymore, I worry,"

  
"That's because you love him," Carole replies, a warm smile on her face.

  
"And with this cancer, you worry that something's happened. Cancer is unpredictable and I get it," Burt pauses. "I was the same way with your mom. It felt like every time I walked into her room and she wasn't there, my heart stopped,"

  
"Yeah," Kurt nods, squeezing Blaine's hand tighter. His eyes stinging with tears. "That's the feeling," Burt nods, sucking in a deep breath.

  
"Yup, and you get scared for every surgery, no matter how big or small, and there are quite a few of them. Every time the doctor comes in the door, you're scared he carries bad news, but you can't say those fears because you have to be strong for them. You even feel a little selfish because you're not the one going through what they are. You don't have the surgeries or their pain, but you do have pain,"

  
"That's it," By the time his dad is finished, Kurt's crying, his eyes never leaving his boyfriend. Finn and Carole just sat back, with slight frowns and Finn with a little confusion.

  
"I get it, Bud. I really do and you know I'm here for you, because I've been there," Burt finishes. Kurt nods his head, squeezing Blaine's lifeless hand like his life depended on it.

  
"Thank you," he manages, not even bothering to wipe his tears away.

  
"Don't thank me. I wouldn't wanna be doing anything else,"

  
"Mm," Blaine's groan is heard and Kurt practically jumps, Burt's hand sliding off of his son. Blaine shifts a little, instantly using his free hand to clutch at his stomach. Kurt waits until his eyes blink open to say anything.

  
"Hey, Baby," He coos, running his thumb across the back of his pale hand. Blaine scrunches his brow, going to reach his hand up, but his IV getting tangled, where it was still connected to his port. He groans in response, letting his hand fall to his side. "What's wrong?" Kurt's face falls almost instantly.

  
"Feels weird," Blaine smacks his lips together, letting his eyes fall shut once more. Kurt's shoulders relax slightly.

  
"That's normal, Sweetie," Carole promises, standing at the end of the bed and putting a hand on his foot. Blaine scrunches his brow once more, shifting slightly, but automatically regretting it. Everyone watches him carefully and with a little worry, especially Kurt.

  
"Kurt," Blaine grumbles, finally squeezing his hand back.

  
"Yeah? What's wrong Honey?" Kurt asks, reaching his hands up to rub his thumb across his temple. Normally, there would be no way in hell he would be calling his boyfriend puppy names in front of his family, but he only had eyes for Blaine at this point.

  
"Lay with me," Blaine begs, tugging on Kurt's hand, but Kurt wouldn't budge.

  
"B, you just got out of surgery. Maybe in a couple days," Kurt says, his heart breaking for the boy in front of him.

  
"No, I-" he sighs heavily, his eyes starting to fall shut. "I need you. I miss you. I'll heal better when I'm in your arms. I swear it," Blaine says dopely, obviously still a little dazed from the anesthesia. The room laughs gently, including Kurt, but Blaine just didn't see what was so funny.

  
"Blaine, I promise when you start to heal, on your own, I'll climb in bed with you," As soon as the words out of his mouth, he snaps up to his father. "Not like that. I didn't-uh-"   
"Sex in a hospital bed?" Finn scrunches his face with disgust. "Sex involving my brother. Ew," He physically shudders at the thought.

  
"Finn!" Burt and Kurt say at the same time, both wide-eyed.

  
"Sorry," Finn says, looking down at his feet. Kurt clears his throat out, red creeping up on his cheeks.

  
"Please," Blaine begs, pulling him in closer.

  
"Later, I promise," Kurt says, leaning forward to press a kiss to his forehead. Blaine pouts, sucking in a deep breath, but instantly going to hold his side.

  
"Ow," He whimpers. Kurt smiles gently, squeezing his hand tightly.

  
"You should get some rest. You'll feel less hazy in the morning," Kurt sniffles, one of his palms cupping his cheek. Blaine nods slowly.

  
"Okay,"

  
Well, that was easier than expected. Kurt smiles.

  
"Kiss me again?" Blaine asks, a smally, dopey grin growing on his face. Kurt chuckles lightly, leaning down to press a sweet kiss to the boy's lips. "Goodnight. I love you,"

  
"Goodnight. I'm proud of you and I love you too," Kurt whispers. Blaine relaxes at his words, his eyes starting to fall shut. That didn't take long. Kurt doesn't let go of his hand though, allowing it to set in his lap.

  
"You wanna stay the night?" Burt asks, looking at his son. Kurt nods slowly, never taking his eyes off Blaine. "I'll talk to Damien," He adds, turning to leave the room.

 

-0-

  
As Kurt strode down the hallway, he couldn't help feel a little optomisitc. Blaine's surgery had gone well last week and who knows, maybe this would be a step in the right direction. The step into their futures. As he turned down to the nurse's station, he realized it was empty. There was absolutely no one there, not even Damien.

  
Kurt cocks his head to the side, slowing his pace. There's usually at least two or three nurses at the station.

  
The countertenor's face starts to fall when he hears a ton of voices coming from Blaine's room, almost too many. He starts to run into the room, but Damien stopped him, pushing him out, but he did get glimpse of Dr. Thomas, Molly and all the missing nurses standing around Blaine's hospital bed, working on him.

  
"Kurt, no, I don't think you should go in there," Damien says, grabbing his wrists and pushing him out into the hallway again.

  
"What? No! He needs me! Let me go!" Kurt tries, getting his arms free, but Damien still grabbing him by his waist.

  
"No, you don't want to go in there, trust me," Damien says, tears starting in his eyes.

  
"What do you mean? What happened? Is he okay?" His eyes sting with tears as he tries to look past him. Although, Damien wouldn't let him, guarding him from the sights.

  
"Kurt, really. You don't," Kurt looks up at the nurse, his shoulders falling. "He was bleeding today. Dr. Thomas did some tests, it was internal and there was still cancer we missed. It spread to his bloodstream. We didn't think he'd go this fast,"

  
"What? What do you mean? What do you mean he went fast?" Kurt chokes back a sob.

  
"He had a seizure and he's gone. I would have called you if we had time, but we just didn't. I'm so sorry," Damien says, letting out a deep sob.

  
"Oh God," Kurt cries, falling into a heap in Damien's arms.

  
"I'm so sorry, Kurt. I'm sorry," He repeats, allowing the boy to cry in his arms, soaking his scrub top.

  
"No, no, no, no,"

 

Kurt woke up with a start and to a sore back. He shoots up, looking around nervously, remembering that he wasn't in his bed, but lying on the pullout couch, with Finn's sweat pants and t-shirt from the back of his car and having only but a couple of blankets to warm him. He looks over to his boyfriend, who had both his hands covering his face, obviously awake, but not because of Kurt's loud gasp as he woke up.

  
"Baby? What's wrong?" Kurt asks. Was he dreaming again? Was this a dream too? The only light was coming from the hallway, so it wouldn't surprise him that he just couldn't see right.

  
"Did I wake you?" Blaine grumbles, turning his head to look at his boyfriend, clear pain written on his face. Kurt shakes his head, running his hands over his face. "I didn't even realize you spent the night," He manages a small smile, which Kurt returns.

  
"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," Kurt replies. "Now, what's wrong?" His face falls slowly.

  
"It hurts," Blaine replies, sucking in a deep breath. "It's just sore," He looks down at his stomach, furrowing his brow as if willinging for it to stop. Kurt sighs heavily, padding over to the edge of the bed, letting his hand rest at his hip.

  
"I'm sorry," Kurt says softly, his face falling with worry.

  
"I know you're worried about my incision and everything, but I really just want you to hold me," He begs, tugging on his arm. Kurt ponders it, squinting his eyes. "Please. You always help me sleep better," He says, reaching up to put a hand on his hip and pulling him slightly.

  
"I don't want to hurt you," Kurt says.

  
"Baby, you won't. Please, just lie with me. I wanna be held," He's begging at this point, wishing his boyfriend to climb in bed with him.

  
"Okay," Kurt reluctantly nods his head and Blaine smiles, pulling back his sheets. The countertenor playfully rolls his eyes and crawls in, so he can wrap his arm around Blaine's shoulders, slowly letting him fall against his chest. Blaine hisses slightly, getting used to the ache, but eventually relaxes in his arms, one arm draped around the slightly shorter boy's waist, his injured side up in the air.

  
Blaine closes his eyes, taking a deep breath of content. They sit in silence for a few seconds, just enjoying each other. Blaine listening to Kurt's heartbeat and Kurt watching Blaine's chest rise and fall with every breath he takes, reminding him that it was just a dream. Reminding him that yes, Blaine was in his arms, alive, not well, but alive, and about as well as he'll get for awhile.

 


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four: Nationals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Another one! So, I had this written two days ago, but it took me forever to edit, because I hate editing, but here it is, YAY! So, enjoy this and I'm going to start on the next one! Don't forget to kudos if you haven't already and leave me a comment with your opinions! (PS. there's only around seven chapters left of this so enjoy every piece lol)

"Baby, you're falling asleep again," Kurt says, nudging his boyfriend's leg with his foot. Blaine jolts awake, the script to McKinley High's version of Les Miserables closing shut over his chest.

  
Like every spring, Mckinley was putting on a musical and this year, after much persuasion from Kurt and Rachel, they agreed on _Les Miserables_ and Kurt had gotten the role of Marius, the young student and suitor for Cosette.

  
Kurt was worried the role would be too "Straight" for him and almost didn't audition, but Blaine had practically begged him and luckily, he did and he got the role and Blaine couldn't be any more proud.

  
"I'm sorry," Blaine mumbles wiping at his eyes lazily.

  
"I didn't know Marius was that boring," he chuckles, making Blaine smile sleepily. "Go to sleep, please. You look exhausted," His boyfriend says seriously.

  
"No, you need to practice. It's just these pain meds they put me on make me crazy tired and with chemo on top, I'm tired as hell," Blaine admits, letting out a loud yawn.

  
"Then go to sleep. I'll run over lines while you rest,"

  
"No, I swear I'll keep awake," Blaine replies, shifting, so he's no longer half lying down, but hisses, his stomach still sore from his surgery four days prior. He can tell Kurt tensed when he made a pained face. "Relax," Blaine chuckles lightly, careful not to shake too much due to the pain.

  
"I'm sorry. I'm just protective," Kurt scoffs, a small smile on his face. Blaine looks back down at the script in hand, going over the scene they were working on.

  
"Who's playing Cosette again? Should I be worried you'll leave for her?" Blaine teases, looking over to his boyfriend.

  
"I think I've told you this eight times. It's Quinn and Rachel is Eponine," He repeats.

  
"I'm sorry. My brain is mush with the chemo, radiaiton, and just lack of energy," he sighs heavily, scanning over his boyfriend's highlighted lines, the speaking part highlighted with orange and the directions in a neon pink.

  
"I know. You've been really forgetful," Kurt teases with a small smile, patting the other boy's knee gently.

  
"Hey, I haven't forgotten any important dates....yet," Blaine adds, widening his eyes. Kurt chuckles lightly, leaning forward in his chair that was almost pressed right up against the side of his hospital bed. "So, it's Quinn, so I won't have to worry, right? You won't leave me for her? I mean she is blonde and I know you like blondes,"

  
"No, I have a thing for curly, dark hair," Kurt replies, making his boyfriend's smile grow. "And bald guys apparently," He adds graciously, leaning over to press a soft kiss to the side of his head. Blaine playfully rolls his eyes at his cheesiness.

  
"There's nothing quite like a head you can see your reflexion in, huh?" The said boy jokes, running a hand over his own bald head.

  
"It's not shiny enough for that," He replies with a soft smile, joining Blaine's hand over his head rubbing playfully. At his words, Blaine bursts into laughter, tossing his head back, which ends just as quick as it came. It ending with him holding his stomach in pain.

  
"Jesus," He hisses, his smile now gone, along with Kurt's who was just full of concern. "Don't make me laugh I-" He stops, noticing the way Kurt really was worried.

  
"Don't look at me like that," He pouts, his hand still holding his stomach.

  
"Like what?" Kurt scrunches his brow, pulling back from himself, trying to act confused.

  
"Like I'm some sick puppy. Like I'm a child," He shrugs, letting out a heavy sigh. Kurt opens his mouth to say something, unable to find the right words. "I just want you to look at me like you used to."

  
"I'm just worried," Kurt shrugs. "I always will worry about you," He adds, reaching over to put his hand over his boyfriend's.

  
"I know," The boy says, looking down at his hands folded in his lap. Kurt lets out a deep breath, squeezing his hand tightly before falling back against his seat. Blaine looks over at his bedside and at the clock beside it. "Did you want to walk with me? Dr. Thomas wants me to walk at least twice a day,"

  
"Yeah," Kurt gives him a small smile and getting to his feet. Blaine throws the covers off and swings his legs over the side of the bed.

  
"Can you grab my shoes?" Blaine nods towards the navy blue Tom's sitting neatly in front of the couch. Kurt nods, reaching over and grabbing them. Blaine goes to take them, but Kurt just sits himself down in the chair once more and slips them on for him so he doesn't have to crunch up to do it himself. "Maybe I am a child," Blaine rolls his eyes.

  
"No, you're just sick, recovering," He shrugs, reaching over for his other foot, slipping his toes into it. Blaine shakes his head.

  
"That's one way to put it," He says under his breath. Kurt heard it, but chose to ignore it, not knowing what to say to it. He justs gets back up on his feet and takes Blaine's hands in his own. He starts to walk away, but Blaine doesn't budge until he has his boyfriend's full attention.

  
"I'm sorry," Blaine says softly. "I'm a jerk. I need to be more thankful for what everyone has done for me and I'm sorry for snapping," Blaine shrugs. Kurt shakes his head.  
"It's okay," He says softly, going back over to press a soft kiss to the boy's lips, making Blaine hum with content. "I love you,"

  
"I love you more," Blaine breathes happily, his hands resting loosely on Kurt's waist. He doesn't miss the way Kurt's cheeks start to turn a light crimson. Two years later and he still had the affect on him. It gave him a sense of pride. He must be doing something right.

  
"Come on. Let's get your walk done," Kurt nods towards the doorway and Blaine follows, hissing at his first step.

  
It was expected for him to be this sore. Dr. Thomas even said it may be two weeks before he even starts to feel normal, but as long as it doesn't stop him from doing everday activities such as getting out of bed or walking, then he was fine. It was horrible though. Blaine's never been too great with pain though. Yeah, he pushed through a lot of it, but it was just because he didn't need the attention, not because it didn't hurt horribly.

  
The sore boy pouts, lacing his fingers together with Kurt's and leaning heavily on the boy as they started down the hall and past the nurses station with a wave to Damien, who was chatting away with a doctor.

  
PDA used to be something that would worry Blaine, but having cancer has given him a new perspective on most things, this being one of them. If he has a chance of dying, he wasn't going to hide anymore. He just loved Kurt too much to do that. It took awhile for Kurt to get on board, but after explaining himself and being reassured almost everyone he's met has been extremely accepting, he agreed and started holding hands in the halls with him, maybe even sneaking a few kisses as well.

  
"This is the worst part of my day," Blaine grumbled, letting out a deep breath. Kurt chuckles lightly, even if seeing his boyfriend like this was breaking his heart into a million pieces.

  
"Is it still that sore?"

  
"Yeah, I mean they removed almost half my liver, I wouldn't expect anything less, but it sucks," Blaine grumbles. "It just takes all of my energy anymore."

  
Kurt squeezes the boy's hand in reassure, pressing a kiss to the top of his bald head.

  
"At least you won't have raditation for a week or so,"

  
"I'd rather deal with the burns than this. With the burns I could put that cream on it and I'd feel a little better, now I can't laugh, cough, or cry, no matter how bad I want to, because they all jerk my incision and it hurts so goddamn bad," Blaine says, his movement slow compared to Kurt's, basically just shuffling down the hall, but really he's been slow ever since he started chemo.

  
Kurt remembers a day after the surgery and Blaine just started sobbing because he hurt and was sick of hurting, but just ended up crying harder and clutching his stomach because the sobs were hurting his stomach. Damien found him twenty minutes later and had to calm him down before he ripped his stitches. Coming in after school to see that one was not a pleasant sight for Kurt at all. It broke his heart all over again. A lot of things broke his heart anymore.

  
He hated seeing Blaine go through all this and unable to help. He couldn't take his pain away or make him feel better. He was just stuck watching him go through it and that was the worst feeling he's ever felt in his life.

  
When you love someone, all you want to do is hold them and protect them from the world and you can't, because it's out of your control. You can hold them, but you can't protect them from unknown illnesses, accidents, and pyschos. It hurts. It hurts not being able to do that, not being able to protect them from everything bad in the world. All you can do is tell them it's okay and pray that it's not the last thing you go through together and that it's not the end.

  
Blaine lets out a dark sigh, letting his head rest against Kurt's shoulder, wrapping both his arms around Kurt's one, his face scrunched with the ache in his side. Kurt looks down at him, looking at the expression on his face before pressing a soft, protective kiss to the top of his head and rest his cheek against his bald head.

  
"I don't know where I'd be without you, really," Blaine admits, his voice soft. Kurt can't help the small smile he has on his face at his words. It warmed his heart to know Blaine needed him as much as Kurt needs him.

  
"Same goes to you,"

  
"I could tell you where you'd be," Blaine replies, his cheek smushed against his lover's shoulder.

  
"Where?"

  
"Probably hanging out with Rachel or Mercedes at the mall or watching a movie in one of their bedrooms. It would probably be one of the Twilight movies, because I know how much you like those. Maybe you'd be helping out at the garage with Finn and Burt, listening to some show tunes through your headphones to try and block out that country music you hate so much,"

  
Kurt smiles. It's crazy how well Blaine knew him.

  
"No," His soft smile fades.

  
"Where would you be then? Glee rehearsal or-"

  
"Maybe six feet under," Kurt says with a dark sigh. Blaine pulls back, lifting his head from the boy's shoulder and look at his boyfriend's very serious expression staring straight ahead.

  
"You're the only one I've ever told about Dave. I've never told anyone else. If I didn't have you, I don't think I would have been able to keep it for long, unable to live with the guilt. You introduced me to Dalton, made it welcoming and an option. You opened me up to a whole bunch of other ways to live life, ways to look at," He pauses. "You showed me what true happiness was,"

  
"Kurt," Blaine breathes, not knowing what else to say.

  
"When I was a sophomore, I thought about it. Like really thought about it," Kurt admits. He doesn't have to elaborate, Blaine knows what the 'it' is. The former Warbler squeezes Kurt's arm tightly. "I picked up a pamphlet outside Ms. Pillsbury's door about the pros and cons of doing it and she caught me," He pauses, still walking slowly though, not really caring who was listening. It wasn't important. "She told my dad and there was something that just changed in him ever since. He tried a lot harder, he was at a loss of words a lot more. He was just different," He shrugs.

  
"That's when I thought about really leaving him. He had already lost my mom, he didn't need to lose me too. I mean, if by some crazy chance, God does exist and I go to Heaven, I don't think my mom would have been too happy about it anyway," He scoffs.

  
"Why?" Blaine whispers, squeezing his hand as tightly as he possibly could.

  
"I was alone. No one cared besides my dad and before that, it was questionable. I sat alone at lunch, I did everything alone," he shrugs. "It was horrible. I was taunted, teased, slushied, made fun of, pushed, kicked, thrown in dumpsters, it was exahausting. I just wanted it to end," He admits, shaking his head at the thought.

  
"Baby," The bald boy whispers, stopping his tracks and wrapping his boyfriend in for a tight, comforting hug, ignoring the way his side started to hurt even worse. There was something, or more of someone who was way more important than the ache in his side. "I love you, I always will and I'm sorry,"

  
"I love you too," Kurt admits, sniffling back his tears and nuzzling his nose into Blaine's neck.

 

-0-

 

"Blaine, you don't look so good," Damien announces, noticing Blaine's small looking form, looking even tinier in the swarm of blankets surrounding him.

  
"I don't feel good," Blaine mumbles, his eyes drifting off. Damien kneels down beside Blaine's bedside, putting a hand to his forehead.

  
"You're not warm," Damien says. "What's wrong?"

  
"I feel like I can't move. I don't wanna move," Blaine admits, taking in a deep breath. The nurse scrunches his brow with worry, resting his hands on his hips. "I just feel as if all the energy has been taken from me. My side hurts, but I don't wanna move to fix it,"

  
"Blaine,"

  
"I know," Blaine says again, smacking his lips together.

  
"I know you don't want to, but I need to put your chemo needle in,"

  
"I don't wanna," His patient pouts. "It's not like it works anyway, I mean look at me. I've slept for fourteen hours and yet I still look like I've been punched in both my eyes with a freaking baseball,"

  
"Roll over, let me check your incision," Damien orders, snapping on a pair of lavender gloves. Blaine groans.

  
"Let's do it tomorrow," He yawns. "I wanna take a nap,"

  
"Blaine, roll over or I will roll you over and I don't think you'd like that very much. The boy groans again, his eyes barely open as he does as he's told, laying out like a starfish. Damien pulls back his covers, making Blaine shiver. "I know it's cold," Damien says, kneeling down so he can pull up Blaine's t-shirt and pull back the bandage. It's not red or bruising, it looks normal. He presses his fingertips to it, making Blaine groan again, loudly. "Sorry," He apologizes quickly. It wasn't hot at all either.

  
"Okay," He sighs, taping the bandage back on and pulling his t-shirt back down. "Now that you're rolled like this, I'm going to do your chemo and you can go right back to sleep,"

  
"So, what's wrong with me?" Blaine mumbles, his eyelids getting heavier and heavier by the second.

  
"I don't know. I think you're just exhausted, weak from chemo and surgery, maybe a little stressed," He shrugs, pulling on a new pair of gloves and grabbing the needle for Blaine's chemo. He lowers the collar of his shirt just enough to see his port before sticking it in. Blaine doesn't even move.

  
The nurse's heart breaks for the boy. He really wasn't doing well whatsoever. Usually, he would at least squirm or hiss, but he didn't even move this time.

  
"So, Dr. Thomas said you can take a shower for the first time since surgery today," Damien says trying to get the boy to talk.

  
"I don't wanna," He says instead, letting his eyes fall shut. His caretaker sighs heavily, getting the IV tube ready to be put into Blaine's chest. He hooks the bag up to the stand beside his bed and goes to insert the medicine in.

  
"Do you want your mint for this?" He asks.

  
"Just do it," Blaine shakes his head. The nurse does as he's told and as soon as he's finished, Blaine is curling back up on his side, and Damien pulls the blankets up for him. This was so unlike him. Normally, he would smack his lips together or make some disgusted noise against the medicine, but no, he didn't care at all. Not one bit.

  
"Blaine, have you taken your walk today?" Damien asks, kneeling back down beside the boy, studying his half sleeping face carefully. Blaine nods his head slowly, not even bothering to form one word. "Are you lying to me?" Blaine shakes his head no.

  
"When's Kurt coming over to see you today?"

  
Blaine shrugs helplessly.

  
"Shit," Damien whispers. He wouldn't even open his mouth for Kurt, he really must be feeling like shit. "What else is wrong?"

  
"I'm just tired. Moving my arm wears me out," Blaine admits, his voice low and raspy, almost as if he hasn't used it in weeks. "I wanna go home,"

  
"Home?" Damien scrunches his brow with confusion, that was the last place he figured he'd want to go.

  
"I want Carole to make me chicken-soup and I want Kurt to hold me until I fall asleep,"

  
"Oh," He wasn't talking about his house at all. He was referring to the Hummel's house. That was relieving.

  
"Will you take me home?" Blaine begs, his eyes still not totally open.

  
"I'm sorry, Blaine. I can't take you home. You'll have to stay here until you get better,"

  
Blaine groans, hiding his face in his pillow. He holds his covers closely to his chest and tries to bring them up farther without being full submerged in them.

  
"Hey, you'll get through this. Do you want me to call Kurt? Or Cooper?" Damien bargains, putting a hand on his shoulder and rubbing gently. Blaine shrugs his shoulders helplessly.

  
"I don't know," Damien has to strain to hear him this time, his voice only a breath, not even a whisper. Tears were starting in his honey colored eyes and Damien wants nothing more than for them to stop. "Cold," He whispers.

  
The nurse is on his feet in an instant, going to the dresser drawer where he knows the heating pad is. He's only used it about a million times in the past few months. Cooper just kind of left them here for his brother, knowing he'd need them eventually. He was right. Blaine used them at least three times a week anymore. He was just always cold, no matter how many layers he put on.

  
Damien unwraps the cord, plugging it into the wall and switching it on, moving Blaine's covers so it's hiding behind his back.

  
"There," He says finally, tucking the singer back in.

  
"I'm sorry," Blaine whispers nuzzling his nose against the pillow Kurt had gotten him for his birthday.

  
"Hey, none of that. I'm your nurse. It's what I'm supposed to do, Blaine," Damien replies, rubbing his shoulder carefully.

  
"I really wanna go home,"

  
"I know, Kiddo," Damien says, his face scrunched with sympathy for the boy in front of him.

  
Marcus used to be the same way when he was recovering. Some days, he just couldn't get himself out of bed, no matter how hard he tried. He was exhausted from therapy, surgeries and just emotionally and mentally drained. He understood it all. This wasn't his first rodeo with this.

  
"Is there anything else you need me to do while I'm here?" Damien asks, squatting down in front of Blaine's head. Blaine slowly shakes his head, his brow knitted with longing ache. The nurse nods his head.

  
"You know how to get to me if that changes and I swear I'll come running, alright?" Again, Blaine nods his head sleepily to his statement, his eyes still half-closed.

  
"Alright," Damien says finally, patting his leg and getting back to his feet. He starts for the door, his cart in tow, but he heard a sniffle. A loud one coming from the boy behind him. He quietly turns around to see a few tears slipping from his eyes.

  
"Hey, what's wrong?" He stops in his tracks, hurrying back to his side.

  
"Sick of feeling like this. I just wanna go home so badly," Blaine says, taking deep breaths so he doesn't start sobbing. They both know that if he stops sobbing, he'll be in a world of hurt trying to stop before ripping stitches or making the recovery process harder.

  
"I know, but you're so close," Damien tries. He didn't even know what he was saying. They both knew that there was no way to tell how close he was. Cancer was unpredictable and a pain in the ass, he was just full of empty promises.

  
"No I'm not and you know that," Blaine whimpers and for the first time, he opens his eyes slowly, trying to keep his breath in control and allowing his tears to soak his pillowcase.

  
"I know," Damien says, obviously defeated. He reaches over, grabbing a tissue for him and starts dabbing at his eyes. "Don't cry. You'll figure this out,"

  
"You don't know that," Blaine replies, also sounding defeated.

  
"No, I don't-" Blaine scoffs at his nurse's words. They knew just as much as he did. "But you can't give up hope. It's okay to have days like this. Days where you can't get out of bed, weeks if you want, but you can't give up hope. If you give up hope, everything shuts down and nothing matters, please don't give up," Damien begs, putting his hand over Blaine's smaller, weaker and boney one. Blaine looks at him, so sincere and loving. He really has been the father figure he's been craving all his life.

  
Yes, Burt was wonderful and was also a father figure, but he couldn't be with Blaine the way Damien is. Damien works here. He practically lives here and is always here to take care of his patients, especially Blaine.

  
"Okay," Blaine whimpers, taking the tissue from Damien's hand and using it to dry his cheeks from the moisture collecting on his red cheeks.

  
"Go to sleep. Get some rest and I'm sure you'll feel a little strong when you wake up, okay?" Damien says, with a slight pout on his lips.

  
"K," Blaine says simply, curling back in on his blankets, Damien taking the tissue and tossing it in the garbage at his bedside.

  
"Okay," Damien rubs his shoulder before pushing back up to his feet, this time leaving with success and his heart a little heavier, but Blaine's a little lighter.

 

-0-

 

New York. Kurt was in New York with the rest of the New Directions, competing a Nationals. The city where dreams come true. The city the couple has dreamed about for years, ever since they were little boys. And Blaine was stuck in his hospital room, still feeling as if he's been punched in the face. Twice.

  
He couldn't be there, but Burt told him he would record it through a live video for him so he can at least experience it.

  
"They're next, Kid," Burt says, the screen still showing him, and half of Carole's shoulder. It was quite dark, but they had nice seats, rather close to the stage.

  
"I'm so nervous for them," Blaine admits, bringing his blanket up closer to his chest, a bright, but yearning smile on his face. He wishes he could be there, dancing on stage with them or waiting nervously backstage with them, but no. He couldn't. No matter how much he begged Dr. Thomas and Damien, there was just no way he was going to be able to go to Nationals with them.

  
"Don't be. They got this one in the bag," Burt says, a smirk on his face. Blaine chuckles lightly.

  
"Wish you could be here, Blaine!" Mr. Schuester says, coming into view for a brief second.

  
"Me too, Mr. Schue!" Blaine calls back.

  
"Alright, here they come," Burt turns the camera around so it's facing the stage, just as the announcer is coming over the intercom.

  
"Next up, from Lima Ohio, are the New Directions!" The voice exclaims happily. People start filing onto the stage, but Blaine doesn't recognize them until the lights come up on the large stage, showing off the girl's periwinkle dress, with lavender bands across their middles and headbands in their hair. The boys were wearing black pants and dress shirts, but their dress shoes and bowties were a periwinkle color. They looked good. Rachel's loud and powerful voice starts them out

  
_We-eee-eeel...._

_You know you make me wanna (Shout!)_   
_Kick my heels up and (Shout!)_   
_Throw my hands up and (Shout!)_   
_Throw my head back and (Shout!)_

  
While Rachel sings the main part, everyone else sings the shouts as they dance across the stage, making Blaine smile. He loves this song.

  
_(Say) say that you love me_   
_(Say) say that you need me_   
_(Say) say that you want me_   
_(Say) you wanna please me_   
_(Say) come on now_   
_(Say) come on now_

  
The theme continues only they switch off so the boys are singing the one word phrases and the girls become the main focus, splitting the stage in half between the two groups. Blaine can hear Burt's chuckles and sees the camera shift as he joins everyone else on their feet and Sam takes over for the next verse, allowing everyone else to accompany him and dance around him as him and Mercedes go to the front of the stage.

  
_Now that I got my woman_   
_I feel aaaaaaaalllllright!_   
_You've been so good to me_   
_You've been so good to me_   
_You know you make me wanna_   
_(Shout-wooo) lift my heels up and_

  
As Sam finishes, the two start taking turns between each line, the boys and girls, still doing the small things.

  
_(Shout-wooo) throw my head back and_   
_(Shout-wooo) come on now_   
_(Shout-wooo) come on now_   
_(Shout-wooo) take it easy_

  
Every girl on the team goes over to the front of the stage, singing the next verse and growing smaller and quieter with each time it's said, until they're down to a whisper.

  
_(Shout) a little bit softer now_   
_(Shout) a little bit softer now_   
_(Shout) a little bit softer now_   
_(Shout) a little bit softer now_

  
When they're done, the boys take over, starting to pop back up from their spot lying on the ground behind the girls who were doing the same.

  
_(Shout) a little bit louder now_   
_(Shout) a little bit louder now_   
_(Shout) a little bit louder now_   
_(Shout) a little bit louder now_

  
They all join in for the last verse, dancing and bouncing up and down with crowd.

  
_Jump up and shout now (wooo)_   
_Jump, jump, jump, jump and shout!_

  
Finally, Santana brings them home with the last note, which is a change from their usual Mercedes.

  
_Yeeeaaahhhh!_

  
Blaine can't help his loud cheers as they finish, which is what the crowd is doing as well.

  
"They're incredible!" Blaine cheers, a large, proud grin on his face as he watches everyone on stage moves to the back of it, turning around so they're facing the band, except Kurt. Kurt remains in front and Blaine's excited to see it, hoping he's there for a solo. He's proven right when a spotlight comes up on the said boy and that when Blaine notices, just like the other boys he's wearing a periwinkle pin in the shape of a ribbon across his heart.

  
_You think I'm pretty_   
_Without any makeup on_   
_You think I'm funny_   
_When I tell the punchline wrong_   
_I know you get me_   
_So I let my walls come down, down_

  
The beat is soft, the only instrument being Brad, who was playing the piano for him and Blaine's heart warms when he recognizes the song. Their song.

  
_Let's go all the way tonight_   
_No regrets, just love_   
_We can dance, until we die_   
_You and I, will be young forever_

  
His voice is powerful, but Blaine still notices the tears in his eyes as he sings. All he wants to do it join him on stage and dance with him, singing it as a duet.

  
_You make me feel_   
_Like I'm livin' a_   
_Teenage dream_   
_The way you turn me on_   
_I can't sleep_   
_Let's run away and_   
_Don't ever look back_

  
As he gets into the chorus, the beat getting a little heavier, the girls join in for a perfect harmony, but not loud enough to upstage Kurt's countertenor voice.

  
_My heart stops_   
_When you look at me_   
_Just one touch_   
_Now baby I believe_   
_This is real_   
_So take a chance and_   
_Don't ever look back_

  
The sick boy's heart starts to flutter, feeling as Kurt was singing it just to him, having only eyes for the boy through the screen.

  
_We drove to Cali_   
_And got drunk on the beach_   
_Got a motel and_   
_Built a fort out of sheets_   
_I finally found you_   
_My missing puzzle piece_   
_I'm complete_

  
He doesn't even realize he's crying until he sees a splatter of water land on his wrist that was holding up the tablet. Kurt moves across the stage with grace and confidence, making Blaine fall in love with him all over again.

  
_I'm a get your heart racing_   
_In my skin-tight jeans_   
_Be your teenage dream tonight_   
_Let you put your hands on me_   
_In my skin-tight jeans_   
_Be your teenage dream tonight_

  
He belts out the last note, his arms going up and his tears falling faster down his cheeks, that even Blaine can see through the screen. As soon as he's finished, the crowd goes insane, cheering for him like he was Beyonce, which in Blaine's opinion, he was better.

  
"That's my son," He hears Burt say emotionally from the screen and Blaine lets out a soft sob from his side.

  
"He's perfect," Blaine breathes. Burt chuckles lightly.

  
He expects the group to go into their last song, but they don't. Instead, Kurt wipes at his eyes and Finn, Sam, and Puck all turn around.

  
"We usually have another member on stage with us tonight, but a few months ago, he was diagnosed with stage three gastric cancer," Kurt starts, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear, the microphone on his shirt helping.

  
"So, tonight we're wearing his cancer ribbon pins and wearing periwinkle on honor of him and his battle," Sam continues, clearly trying to contain his emotion.

  
"We're also dedicating our performance to him by doing his favorite songs of all time," Puck adds, looking across the crowd.

  
"You may notice a few people coming around with a basket for donations, which we're collecting money for the Teen Cancer America foundation to help not just our friend, but every other teens battling cancer today," Finn says from his spot, the spot light moving to each boy.

  
"This one is for you Blaine, stay strong," Kurt finishes, his voice cracking at the end. The lights go out again, and Kurt runs to his position in the group, bowing his head like everyone else. At this point, Blaine was full on crying. They did this for him. the ribbon color, the pins, and the songs, all for him. He really did matter.

  
Finn spins around quickly as the beat starts and his mouth opens to sing, the lights coming back on to shine on the team.

 

_Tonight, I'm gonna have myself a real good time_   
_I feel alive and the world it's turning inside out, yeah!_   
_I'm floating around in ecstasy. So_

  
Sam takes over, moving across the stage, coming into focus, the rest of the team singing backup for him.

  
_Don't stop me now, don't stop me_   
_'Cause I'm_   
_(having a good time having a good time)_

  
Next is Santana, running down the risers to come beside Sam so she can sing lead this time.

  
_I'm a shooting star leaping through the skies_   
_Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity_   
_I'm a racing car passing by like Lady Godiva_   
_I'm gonna go go go_   
_There's no stopping me_

  
They start to alternate lines, Santana and Sam singing the forward part the other team member taking the back up as they moved with grace and agility.

  
_(Don't stop me now)_   
_'Cause I'm having a good time_   
_(Don't stop me now)_   
_Yes, I'm having a good time_

  
Surprisingly, Puck is the one who takes the lead, as Santana goes back to dance with Kurt in the background.

  
_I don't want to stop at all, yeah!_   
_I'm a rocket ship on my way to Mars_   
_On a collision course_   
_I am a satellite I'm out of control_   
_I am a sex machine ready to reload_   
_Like an atom bomb about to_

  
Sam takes lead again, the New Directions and him alternating lines, his voice strong and more powerful than Blaine has ever heard it.

  
_Don't stop me now_   
_I'm having such a good time, I'm having a ball_   
_Don't stop me now_   
_If you wanna have a good time, just give me a call_   
_Don't stop me now_   
_'Cause I'm having a good time)_   
_Don't stop me now_   
_Yes I'm having a good time)_

  
At the end on the last line, Sam takes it, and everyone comes beside him, ending in a long line with their arms wrapped around each other's waists as Sam holds the last note as long as he possibly can.

  
_I don't wanna stop at all_

  
When the note is out, all of them bow and the crowd goes wild again, clapping loudly for the team and they run off.

  
"Burt, they were fantastic!" Blaine exclaims.

  
"Yeah, they were," Burt cheers back and Blaine's just surprised he heard him at all over the loud cheering coming from the stage. Blaine wipes at his tears gingerly, unable to contain his emotions any longer.

 

 

He watches through the rest of the performances, but in his biased opinion, New Directions were they best. They were better than Vocal Adrenaline too, way better. New Directions have feeling in their performances and this one was the best one they've ever done.

  
"We would just like to thank everyone for coming out tonight and that every team did an amazing job, but not everyone can be a winner tonight," The female judge, that Blaine already forgot the name of says, holding a microphone in one of her hands while another judge held the envelopes.

  
"In third place, from Nashville, Tennessee, the Country Screamers!" She exclaims. The said team goes crazy, one of them dressed in jeans and a cowgirl hat going to grab their trophy before they're led of the stage.

  
"In second place, we have from San Diego, California, the Teenage Screams!" She announces and again, the said team goes nuts again, going to collect their trophy and exit. That leaves three different teams. Vocal Adrenaline, some team Blaine couldn't remember the name of, and the New Directions. The entire team were holding each other, nervous as they were last year, hoping they did better than 12th place.

  
"Now, what everyone is waiting to know, in first place, from Lima, Ohio, The New Directions!" Blaine shoots up from bed and everyone on the team goes nuts, including Kurt who started jumping up and down, but Blaine could only see a little because Burt was also yelling and jumping, hugging his wife.

  
"Yes!" Blaine cheers.

  
"They did it!" He hears Burt say and Blaine claps his hands together. "I'll let you go, Kid! Call Kurt!" He says before hanging up the call, leaving Blaine to celebrate by himself, which he did by cheering. No, he wasn't there with him, nor did he really win himself, but he was so proud of them and honored by what they did for him.

 

 

He'd call right away, but he knows that Kurt's probably a bit preoccupied at the moment, but after twenty minutes, Kurt's the one calling him.

  
Blaine quickly answers the Facetime, revealing Kurt's happy, but grainy face.

  
"Blaine! Did you see the performance? We won! We won!" Kurt says happily, practically bouncing up and down.

  
"Honey, you guys did amazing! I am so proud of you!" Blaine exclaims, a large grin on his face, despite the fact he had tears rushing down his cheeks.

  
"Wait, why are you crying?" Kurt chuckles lightly.

  
"I'm just so happy for you and so thankful that I have you and all of these amazing friends. That performance meant more than you can imagine," Blaine replies, wiping at his eyes.

  
"We knew it would," Kurt replies, tears in his eyes as well.

  
"That was our song, Kurt,"

  
"I know. I had to beg Schuester to let me do it and beat Rachel in an audition, which wasn't that hard," He chuckles, making Blaine smile.

  
"Of course it wasn't, you were amazing!" A small blush creeps up on Kurt's cheeks.

  
"Is that Blaine?!" He hears Sam ask, quickly coming into view.

  
"Sam!" Blaine and Kurt say at the same time, Kurt annoyed, and Blaine full of laughter.

  
"Hey dude! You won us Nationals!" He says happily, making Blaine laugh lightly.

  
"No, you guys were amazing! You guys won yourselves," Blaine insists. Sam cheers.

  
"Guys! It's Blaine!" He says to the room and soon everyone was trying to get into view.

  
"Hey Blaine!" Everyone says sporadically, waving to the boy still left in Ohio.

  
"Hey guys! You guys were amazing!" Blaine repeats for what felt like the millionth time in the past hour.

  
"It was all for you!" Tina says, making a heart with her hands.

  
"I love you guys so much," Blaine chuckles, his laugh thick with emotion and tears.

  
"Love you too, Man!" Mike says a large smile on his face from beside his girlfriend.

  
"Look at this trophy!" Blaine hears Mr. Schuester come through the door and everyone's eyes go wide at something Blaine couldn't see.

  
"Baby, look at this," Kurt says, spinning the camera around to show off the first place Nationals trophy. Of course it was mostly gold, but it had red accents on it and it was huge. At least four and a half feet tall.

  
"Holy shit," He hears Puck say, and Mr. Schuester is obviously too excited to scold him for his language, because he just nods his head.

  
"Oh my God, that thing is taller than Rachel," Santana says as their choir teacher sets it on the floor in their dressing room.

  
"Hey!" He hears Rachel huff, making him smile.

  
A piece of him wishes he was there to win it with him. Maybe they don't really need him to win and he is just a body. No. No. He matters, he is important.

  
"Alright guys, starts getting dressed and we'll head out for the hotel and we'll get celebratory pizza and breadsticks, authentic ones," Mr. Schue claps his hands and everyone cheers before the camera is put back onto Kurt.

  
"I wish you were here, B," He says sorrowfully.

  
"Me too. How is New York?" He asks, as Kurt leans against the piano.

  
"Everything we've ever dreamed of," Kurt chuckles lightly. "I can't wait until we can come back, together. We'll have breakfast at Tiffany's, see Wicked, eat at authentic and expensive food places, get a hotel together, spend most of it in bed, and just be happy together," Kurt sighs wistfully.

  
"I can't wait either," He means it. He hopes it happens, but that doesn't mean he can't be excited about it.

  
"It'll be the best nights of our life," Kurt adds, a large grin on his face. Blaine's smile grows, nodding his head.

  
"Yeah, it will be,"

  
"It really isn't the same with out you," He repeats, his face falling.

 

"We'll get there, together. In two years, we'll be living there, hopefully going to NYADA or NYU together, having an apartment together, it'll be great,"

  
"It will be," Kurt sighs heavily, watching his boyfriend on the other end of the screen.

  
"Kurt, get changed!" Mr. Schuester calls. Kurt rolls his eyes.

  
"I'll call you tonight, okay?" Kurt promises.

  
"You don't have to. Enjoy the city,"

  
"I will, but I wanna tell you about it," Kurt says. "I'll call you tonight," He says again, making Blaine's lips curve into a smile. "I love you,"

  
"I love you too and Kurt?"

  
"Yeah?"

  
"I'm really proud of you,"

  
"Me too," Kurt says and Blaine knows he's not talking about himself. His chest warms with love for the boy in front of him, even if his picture is grainy and hard to see in that lighting.

  
With that, they hang up and Blaine is left alone again, but with a new sense of hope growing in his chest. He will get his happy ending. He will get his happy ending with boyfriend. No matter how hard he has to work or how long it will take. He will end up happy and Kurt will be right beside him, cheering each other on and running the race together, just like they were meant to be doing.

 

-0-

 

Blaine really hated these walks. They made him exhausted. They took around thirty minutes and he had to do them twice a day when he didn't even want to do them once. He knew he had to, so he pushed himself out of bed, no matter how bad he felt and got it done before Kurt would come and visit him, which finally after the longet four days of his life, was happening again.

  
After their victory in New York, they were back and Kurt was finally coming to see him again, which couldn't make him happier. He'd felt horrible the past few days and only a part of it was because his boyfriend wasn't there to hold him.

  
He expected to just walk into his room, with his boyfriend sitting on his bed with a large grin on his face and hopefully pictures of the city they dreamed about, but he didn't.

He did come back to his room to his boyfriend sitting on his bed, but he wasn't smiling or waiting to show pictures of the city. He was hunched over, papers spread out across the mattress. Papers he was not supposed to see and tears drenching his eyes and staining the paper he was reading. Blaine's heart practically stops, knowing exactly what box those hand-written papers had come from.

  
"Kurt," He breathes, tentatively walking in the room. Kurt snaps his head up from the current paper, hurt in his eyes.

  
"Blaine, what the hell is this?" He asks, his voice choking off with a sob.

  
"You weren't suppose to see those," Blaine says, worry starting to fill his voice.

  
"Really? Because one of them is addressed to me," He scoffs, picking up that said paper and setting down the one he was looking at.

  
"They aren't anything," He shakes his head, trying to convince his boyfriend not to flip out on him. He couldn't deal with that. He just couldn't. Not today.

  
"They look like suicide letters to me, and funeral plans, and-and a will, and a fucking apologize letter," Kurt lets out a sharp breath.

  
"They aren't suicide letters,"

  
"Then what are they, Blaine? What do you call them?"

  
"Just in case letters," Blaine says softly, sticking his hands in his pockets. Kurt scoffs, rolling his eyes.

  
"I can't believe this," Kurt shakes his head. "You'd really leave me with this?" Kurt lets out a sob.

  
"Honey," Blaine hurries into the room, sitting beside his boyfriend and attempting to wrap him in a hug, but Kurt pushed him away.

  
"Don't," He says, shaking his head and putting his finger up.

"You weren't suppose to find those until after it happened, if it even happened,"

  
"Did you even read these fucking letters, Blaine?"

  
"Did you read everyone's?"

  
"No, I'm not that invasive," Kurt says, sniffling back his tears. He picks up the apology letter, addressed to everyone. "I'm sorry I couldn't get through this and left you with so much hurt, but it's not like I'm anything to miss anyway," Blaine cringes at his words. "I'm sorry that I wasn't the best son, friend or boyfriend, but I still loved you all. Even after everything that's happened. I should have tried harder I know, but I didn't and I'm sorry,"

  
"Kurt, stop," Blaine says softly, but Kurt continues.

  
"I'm sorry you wasted your time this past year in a hospital room with someone who had no hope and no way of making it out of this. I'm also sorry you spent your money on me, even if it didn't work. I really am sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen," Kurt stops then, tossing the paper on the bed once more. "Do you hear yourself?"

  
"I wrote that when I was in a bad place. It wasn't a final copy," Blaine mumbles.

  
"You were gonna leave me with that! You were gonna leave us with that guilt!" Kurt yells, getting up from his seat on the bed. "And this! What the hell is this?!" He screeches, grabbing the letter addressed to him and shoving it in Blaine's face, who just ducked his head and pulled back.

  
"I'm sorry,"

  
"Yeah, I know you are," Kurt says, tears streaming freely down his cheeks, ruining his cashmere, expensive sweater, but they didn't really care too much. There was something more important at hand. "Dear Kurt, my love. Yes, I once thought we were meant to be forever, but I know now that I'm gone, we weren't. I was just a stepping stone in you path to find that person," He stops himself briefly, catching on a sob. He covers his mouth, taking a breath before continuing. "Eventually, you'll find that person and it will feel like magic and fireworks, and I'm sorry you wasted your time with me when it all just ended in tragedy,"

  
"I don't regret that one," Blaine mumbles. Kurt pulls back with shock.

  
"Stop it," Kurt says, turning his upper lip in disgust. He looks back down at the paper. "I loved you and I know you loved me, but we obviously aren't endgame and I won't be able to rest well knowing you're unhappy because of me. You need to move on and find happiness in New York and at NYADA and hopefully Broadway. I'll always love you, but don't miss out on opportunities because of me," He stops, looking up to his boyfriend, "You were gonna leave me with this."

  
"Yeah, and I mean almost every word," Blaine replies. "That letter I do not regret," He adds, tears now falling down his cheeks. Kurt scoffs, shaking his head.

  
"Jesus Christ, Blaine. Almost?"

  
"If I die, maybe we weren't meant to be together, Kurt. Maybe you'll meet someone through me. I don't know," he shrugs helplessly and Kurt shakes his head.

  
"Oh my God,"

  
"And I want you to move on, but you will always be the love of MY life. Maybe I'm not yours, but whether I make it out or not, you will be mine,"

  
"What about this?" Kurt clears his throat, looking back down at the paper. "I know that I'm not your silly romantic guy you wanted and maybe you'll find someone perfect. Someone who can love you like you deserve and like you need," He looks up. "What the hell is that?"

  
"I meant that,"

  
"Fuck you, Blaine," Kurt says, tossing the letter onto the bed and grabbing his bag from beside the bed. Blaine doesn't move as he watches him leave, unable to think fast. He just ducks his head and listens to Kurt's designer boots click out from the room and down the hall.

  
Kurt turns the corner, walking quickly down the hall, ignoring Damien's worried glances. His voice and hands shaking as he does so. He turns the corner around the entrance and he stops, covering his mouth with his hand and letting out a sob. He shuts his eyes, leaning against the wall for support. He may just pass out.

  
Before he can change his mind, he spins around on his heel, running back around the corner and back into the familiar hospital room. Blaine's exactly where he left him, starstruck and tears falling down his cheeks. Kurt drops his bag on the floor and throws himself into the sick boy's arms, hiding his face in the crook of his neck and tears falling rapidly down his cheeks.

  
"Don't ever leave me," Kurt sobs into his sweatshirt. "Ever. Especially with that-that bullshit," He cries, his tears staining the light grey fabric. Hesitantly, Blaine's arms snake around Kurt's waist and holds him close. "You are romantic and perfect and everything I could ever want or need. You love me more than I love myself and more than anyone ever could and has. You are the love my life, my only one. I don't care how young we are, I don't care because I've never felt like this with anyone and I never will. I'll never fall in love with anyone but you, because I'm going to marry you and have kids with you one day. I don't give a shit about what your letters say, you're wrong. You are so wrong. You are my life and I love you forever and always, damnit," He sobs. Blaine's shoulders are shaking with sobs, but their silent.

  
"Oh Blaine," He cries, allowing the said boy to hold him tightly. "Say something, please," He begs.

  
"I'm sorry," Is all Blaine can say at once, his voice muffled by the cashmere that was falling down Kurt's shoulder, revealing the milky white skin that he loved to much. "I just didn't want to leave you with nothing and I don't want you to be unhappy if I can't pull through."

  
"You will, you fucking will because you are Blaine Devon Anderson. The man I fell in love with two years, the man that helped a complete stranger on that staircase and gave that ugly meerkat, Sebastian, a second chance, not matter how shitty of a person he is. You can get through this because I won't let you leave me. There is no way I will let you fucking leave me," Kurt says, pulling back so he can press their forehead together. "We are in this together and I don't care what your letter says or what you say, we always will be. We're running this race together, hand and hand and side by side, okay?"

  
"Okay," Blaine whimpers. They both hesitate before they crash their lips together in a long kiss, Kurt's arms wound around his shoulders, pulling him as close as he can possibly get.

  
"I love you," Kurt says through a messy kiss.

  
"I love you too, so fucking much, Kurt," Blaine says, his voice trailing off. Kurt smiles into the next kiss, their chests flush together and their tears mixing together.

  
"You are my life, you are my everything and please, never forget that, okay?"

  
"Okay," Blaine repeats, his voice getting cut off with a sob before Kurt is smashing their lips back together. It's messy, but romantic and full of love, both of them pouring it into the kiss and loving every second of it. When they pull apart, Kurt just wraps him in another hug.

  
"I'll never find anyone that's as perfect as you, you know that, right?" At his words, Blaine nods numbly into Kurt's shoulder. "I don't care about any other guy in New York, you're the only one I will ever have eyes for, you got that?"

  
"Yeah," Blaine nods again. Kurt gives him one last kiss to the forehead before pulling back from him completely. Kurt then grabs the tossed apology letter and letter addressed him and crumpled them up, tossing them into the trash can.

  
"Don't leave me with that bullshit, Blaine. I don't want any letter, I just want what we have. I want our rings and our memories. Not some bullshit letter that isn't even true and is irrelevant, okay?" Kurt says, managing a small chuckle. Blaine laughs quietly, nodding his head, his lip trembling. Kurt takes the rest of the letters, putting them back into the small box and shoving them back under the bed.

  
"I don't give a crap about anyone else's letter, just mine," Kurt sniffles, going over to the head of the bed to grab a tissue so he can not only wipe at his eyes, but at Blaine's, trying to get rid of the tear tracks. Blaine laughs.

  
"What would I do without you?" Blaine asks, bringing his still shaking hand up to Kurt's cheek and running his thumb across the apple of it. As an instict, Kurt nuzzles against it, a warm smile coming across his features.

  
"I have no idea," Kurt admits, grabbing another tissue and wiping at Blaine's red cheeks. Blaine chuckles again, hanging his head down. After Kurt disposes of the used tissues, Blaine pulls him in for another long hug. He hides his face into the crook of his boyfriend's neck, breathing in his scent that reminded him of home, and Kurt presses his lips to the back of Blaine's neck, petting his head as if he was made of glass. They slowly start to rock side to side as they embrace, neither wanting to let each other go, scared they would just disappear.

 

-0-

  
"Hey, Baby, I-" Kurt stops talking automatically when he sees that the boy he came to see was passed out in bed, curled under a swarm of blankets, using almost every single one in the room, including the ones that would always hangs on the bathroom door.

  
Usually, he would smile at the sight and have trouble turning away, but he didn't look right. His face was scrunched and pained, but it was weak. One of his arms were sticking out from the blankets and was bonier and paler than ever. Kurt's hands fall at his sides, watching over him while he slept.

  
"You're staring," Blaine mumbles into his pillow, opening one of his tired eyes to look up at his boyfriend, squinting at the light. "Can you shut that off?" He asks, letting his eyes falls shut once more. Kurt nods and swiftly moves to the light switched to turn it off for his boyfriend. As soon as it's shut off, Blaine relaxes against his pillow, but still snuggles against it and lets out an obviously annoyed breath.

  
"What's wrong grumpy pants?" Kurt smiles gently, sitting on the edge of the bed and putting a hand over his waist, rubbing at his carefully.

  
"Everything," Blaine manages a choked chuckle as he looks up at his boyfriend with half-opened eyes. Kurt's doesn't let his smile falter too much, trying to be supportive.

  
"What do you mean?"

  
"Dr. Thomas wants to start radiation again next week," Blaine replies softly. "I hate radiation. It's worse than chemo," At Kurt's confused look, he continues. "I mean, I'm used to chemo. Chemo is easy. I get to lie in bed and I deal with the side effects as they come. Yeah, I get sick and stuff, but there's medication for that. With radiation, I get those stupid burns, which suck ass," He huffs, putting a hand over his forehead. "And everytime I bend over, my stomach feels quesy and heavy and digusting and hot and I just hated it all,"

  
"That mean you're getting better though, right?"

  
"I guess," Blaine shrugs, curling back in so both his hands are under his cheek, folded nicely. "Sadie's getting worse," He blurts, making Kurt's face fall, any remnents of a smile disappearing. "Kurt, she's not going to make it,"

  
"Have you seen her at all?"

  
Blaine nods, looking over at the wall. "She looked horrible. She couldn't even get a drink by herself. The doctors have just given up at this point," he shakes his head, before snapping it towards his boyfriend. "Don't let me get like that, ever,"

  
"That's not really something I can control," Kurt replies quickly, not knowing what else to say. He couldn't make a promise like that, when he knows he can't make it happen, even if he wanted to.

  
"Then if I do, just don't come see me. I don't want you to remember me like that. That's horrible," He admits, the thought of that being him sending unpleasant chills down his spine.

  
"I won't promise that. I don't care what you look like, okay? I'll always be here," He shrugs helplessly. Blaine scoffs.

  
"If you cared what I looked like, you wouldn't be sitting here now. I look like a sad sack of potatoes," Kurt can't help himself and ends up just laughing, having to cover his mouth with the hand that wasn't rubbing at Blaine's side. Blaine smiles carefully, not really meaning to make a joke, but it made Kurt laugh anyway.

  
"You'll always be beautiful to me," he says through a laugh, leaning down to kiss his forehead. Blaine shakes his head at his boyfriend.

  
"You're ridiculous,"

  
"I'm romantic,"

  
"You're cheesey and a liar," Blaine scoffs, unable to help the small smile on his face. Kurt's smile doesn't fade.

  
"When have I ever lied to you?" Kurt says, his hand starting to rub once more, trying to make the other boy feel a little bit better about the situation.

  
"Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever look like I did before," Blaine admits, his smile faltering at his own words.

  
"You will," Kurt says seriously. Blaine shakes his head.

  
"It'll take me months just to feel well enough to work out,"

  
"It's not going to happen overnight, B,"

  
"I know, but I want it to. I mean, I used to be sex on a stick and sing like a dream, what the fuck happened?"

  
"Cancer happened," Kurt says bluntly, making Blaine turn his head towards and him and playfully glare at him. "I'm serious. These things take awhile to come back from,"

  
"Great, so I'll go to school in September as a senior, looking like a sad, deprived sack of potatoes," He groans loudly, but Kurt smiles from ear to ear. This was the first time since all of this happened that he talked about a future like this, like it was going to happen and like he was going to make it to be a senior in September. It was small and just a few words, but it was still so much progress in his eyes. It meant Blaine's at least thought about going back to school like a serious possibility.

  
"Why are you smiling? This is not a smiling matter,"

  
"Nothing," Kurt shrugs, trying to hide his smile and the pride in his eyes. Blaine scrunches his brow.

  
"I swear, as horrible as it sounds right now, as soon as I can, I'll start working out again and maybe not look like someone who hasn't in fifteen years," Blaine sighs heavily. "And you'll do it with me,"

  
"What?" Kurt scrunches his brow, pulling his head back. The remark taking him out of his dream land. The skinnier boy nods his head. "No, I'm not going to the gym or go on runs with you. I'll just cheer you on from the sideline," Kurt says with a small laugh, making Blaine do the same.

  
"Oh come on. I would love to see you in a muscle t-shirt and some gym shorts," He teases.

  
"Gym shorts are not flattering on me, Blaine,"

  
"They would be if they were those cross country, really short ones," Blaine jokes, winking at the boy.

  
"Oh my God," At his words, a small blush creeps up on Kurt's cheeks and neck and his hand stills at the boy's waist. Blaine laughs at his reaction, but quickly stops, his hand sliding down to his side.

  
"Is your cut still hurting?" Kurt asks, his voice turning serious, seeing his boyfriend was in pain.

  
"No, just the tumor," Blaine snaps. Kurt hangs his head down. He hated it when he did stuff like this. Snapped for no reason, leaving Kurt feeling horrible for no reason. He didn't say anything wrong, just worried was all. Blaine goes to curl up on his side again, but stop when he notices the hurt look on Kurt's face. "I'm sorry," He reaches over, putting his hand over the other boy's. Kurt shakes his head.

  
"No, it's fine. You're right. I just forget about it sometimes," He shrugs helplessly, lacing their fingers together. Blaine gives him a small smile and squeezes back, bringing their hands up to his face, so he can press a soft kiss to Kurt's pale knuckles.

  
"Lay with me?" Blaine asks, looking up at his boyfriend with pleading eyes. Kurt sighs heavily, but eventually nods his head and Blaine scoots over so Kurt can lie behind him. The countertenor wraps his arm around his boyfriend, their fingers still conjoined together over his heart, and he nuzzles his nose against the back of his neck. Blaine sighs with content.

  
"This is literally all we do anymore," He chuckles. Kurt smiles gently.

  
"I don't mind it. I mean, it's one of the few things we can do anymore," Kurt shrugs, pressing a soft kiss to the back of his bald head. Blaine's smile falls instantly.

  
"Yeah, it is,"

  
"Hey, I don't mean that in a bad way, I'm just facing facts. I like cuddling with you. I always will. Even when we're eighty years old and have been married for sixty years,"

  
"Sixty? That would we'd get married by the time we're twenty," Blaine replies, scrunching his brow. Kurt shrugs.

  
"You never know. I could happen," He says. "Anything is possible,"

  
"Yeah, anything," Blaine sighs heavily, turning back so he was facing the wall.

  
"Stop it. You know I didn't mean it like that," Kurt scolds, squeezing him to get his point across. Blaine hangs his head, a small smile on his face as he leans down to press a kiss to the back of Kurt's hand.

  
"I'm sorry," The former Warbler sighs heavily, squeezing Kurt's hand with the little strength he had. "I know you didn't," he pauses. "So, do you want to get married by twenty?"

  
"I don't know, maybe, depends. On who asks me and if I've found the right guy," Kurt says obviously teasing, making Blaine playfully roll his eyes and shake his head. "I'm kidding. I really don't know though. Depends on our circumstances and what we'd be looking for," He shrugs. Blaine nods slowly, agreeing with his words.

  
"But we will get married," Blaine says. It wasn't a question, just a statement.

  
"Yes, we will get married," Kurt says back with out hesitation. With that, he kisses his cheek and pulls him closer to his chest. "We don't have to worry about that stuff right now though. We can just worry about what's happening now,"

  
Blaine nods his head, totally agreeing. He had enough on his plate. He didn't need to worry about years into the future just yet. He was just trying to get through the next thirty days, at least.

 


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five: Marius

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of the time, when I write these chapters, they just kind of flow and are easy to write. They kind of come out like word vomit before I start editing, but the first half of this chapter was SO hard for me. I don't know what, but it was. The last scene is a bit much, I know. A little too detailed for what it is, but I'll explain that in the notes at the end.

"Damien, please. You have to let me go," Blaine begs, standing across from the said nurse at the station, while Damien went about his business, trying to get paperwork done.

  
"Blaine, we've been over this. This is insane. I can't just let you out of the hospital," Damien replies, flipping the page on his clipboard and writing a few things down. Blaine rolls his eyes.

  
"Yeah, but can't you pull some strings? Kurt's gonna be in _Les Miserables_ tonight and I need to be there to see it. It's opening night. Please," He tries again.

  
"No, you need to go back to bed, Blaine. You're not healthy enough yet for a night out,"

  
"No, the only place I'm going it out that door," He uses his shaking hand to point at the door before continuing. "He's done so much for me these past few months and I need to go se him in this goddamn play, please," Damien eyes him and his shaking finger.

  
"When did that start?" He asks, nodding towards his hand. Blaine instantly retracts his hand putting it at his side to join his other one.

  
"Nothing. It's nothing," He shrugs casually. A stupid shake was not going to stop him from getting picked up by Hummel's and taken to McKinley to see that play.

  
"Blaine," Damien sighs, letting his clipboard fall to his desk and running a hand over his face. "I want you to look at yourself and then tell me honestly that you think you're healthy enough to go out and have a night out,"

  
Blaine sighs, looking down at himself. He wasn't. He wasn't doing any better than usual. He was actually was getting worse in his eyes, but he could talk his way out of this. He could definitely do this. He was Dapper Blaine afterall.

  
"I know. I'm not supposed to be going out, but look, we both know as of right now, I'm not getting any better, and-"

  
"Blaine-"

  
"And I need to be there, no matter what I have to do. He's given up a lot for me in the part few months and I just want to be able to watch my boyfriend be the best Marius anyone has ever seen. I'm scared that maybe, there won't be a next play that I'll get to see him in and I would give anything to see him play in this. Please, Damien, please."

  
"Blaine, I can't just let you walk out the door. You have to talk to Dr. Thomas and-"

  
"Then get me to him. Where is he? Please, it starts in like six hours," He tries. Damien ponders it, actually ponders it, before rolling his eyes and nodding his head.

  
"I'll page him, but you'll have to beg him yourself," Damien says, raising his eyebrows at the boy.

  
"Yes!" Blaine cheers pumping his fist in the air with excitement. His nurse smiles, pressing a few buttons on his phone before turning back to the boy.

  
"Don't get too excited, okay?"

  
"I won't, but Mr. and Mrs. Hummel are already on their way to pick me up, so...."

  
"Blaine," Damien widens his eyes, scolding him.

  
"It's fine. Dr. Thomas will say yes as long as I can get him to feel bad enough for me," Blaine says, only half joking. Damien rolls his eyes, but puts on a small smile when he sees Dr. Thomas coming down the hall.

  
"Hey boys," He greets. "What do you need, Damien?"

  
"I'm sorry. I hope I didn't pull you from anything special, but Blaine here has a question for you," Damien says, raising one eyebrow towards his patient. Dr. Thomas raises his own eyebrows expectantly and turns to the boy.

  
"Well, Kurt is going to be in a play tonight, our junior year, and I really wanna go see him. Mr. Hummel already offered to take me and I'll be back by eleven tonight. I know I'm not in my best shape, but I would do anything to go to this. Kurt means everything to me and he's done so much for me. This is opening night and-"

  
"Okay,"

  
"Wait, what? Really?" Blaine cheers enthusiastically, looking to Damien who look just as surprised as him.

  
"Blaine, you have cancer. You're far into it. You're also eighteen. I'm not going to force you to stay here, as long as your back by eleven and with radiation starting again, I know it's hard. All of this hard, so I'll let you go. I see a lot of people like you everyday and I know being stuck in here isn't always good for you health either, so just, please, be careful. If you feel even a little bit sick, you have to promise me you'll turn straight back here, alright?" Blaine nods vigorously. "Also, if Mr. Hummel is picking you up, I imagine dinner is involved and I want you to eat something. Something solid, alright?"

  
"Yeah. Done and done. I promise I will," Blaine smiles. "Thank you. Thank you so much, Dr. Thomas,"

  
"Of course," The older man nods, patting his arm gently. The doctor, looks behind him, nodding towards the door. "It looks like your ride is here. Be careful, kiddo," Blaine turns around to see Carole and Burt coming into the hospital.

  
"I will. Thank you, just thanks," Blaine gives him one last smile before hurrying to his room and grabbing his coat from that he hasn't used in months from the back of his door and slips his arm through the holes. He grabs his phone as well, slipping it into his pocket.

  
"You ready, kid?" Burt asks, a smile on his face at seeing Blaine so happy.

  
"Yeah, I am," Blaine smiles brightly. Burt pats him on the back and Carole smiles, leading the boy out into the hall and out of the hospital.

 

  
-0-

 

  
He almost walked past Kurt's bedroom. Key word is almost. He really just couldn't help himself. He hasn't been in this house in months and it's always been like his second home. These four walls have offered crazy support in the past couple of years and he missed it.

  
On his way back from the bathroom, he couldn't help himself and ended up pushing the already slightly open door to reveal the same beige colored walls where Kurt and him have had so many firsts and proclamations of love.

  
Blaine smiles to himself, taking a step in and running a hand over the white bedspread that he remembers cuddling up to during one of their 'morning afters' while Burt and Carole were in D.C. The room hasn't changed that much. A few pictures have been swapped out, like their picture from last year's Nationals was replaced with the new one from last week and a few family ones have been swapped for new ones, but the ones of Blaine remained and only more were added, all from their journey together through this.

  
The tenor sighs with content, taking a seat at the edge of the bed and admiring Kurt's corkboard full of pictures and his dresser that was very organized, just like Kurt himself. All of his cologne was lined up nicely and so was his all of his knick knacks or certain certificates that were worthy of his dark wood dresser.

  
The boy looks around at the clean room. He knows he should be respecting his boyfriend's privacy and staying out, but he couldn't help it. As soon as his foot stepped onto the fluffy, light brown rug, a tension was released from his shoulders. It felt good to be home.

  
"Blaine! Dinner is ready!" Carole calls from the bottom of the stairs. Blaine's smile grows as he gets to his feet.

  
"Coming!" He manages, his voice a little softer than normal, probably due to the way cancer was making him feel tonight, but there was no way he would ever tell Damien or Dr. Thomas about that. Slowly, he walks down the steps to see Burt carrying a bowl full of what looked like mashed potatoes, to the table. It was only the three of them considering Kurt and Finn were already gone for the play, so Blaine didn't really understand why Carole made so much food for the trio, but he sat down in his usual spot anyway, which would usually be next to Kurt.

  
Burt and Carole take their respective seats at the heads of the table.

  
"Alright, dig in, Kid," Burt says, reaching for the mashed potatoes himself while Blaine looks at the array of food. He promised Dr. Thomas he would eat, it's one of the few reasons he was here, but nothing looked good. Not because he didn't enjoy Carole's cooking, because he did. He always did, but chemo took away his appetite, adding to the long list of things its taken in the past few months.

  
Knowing it would be rude if he didn't eat, he grabs some carrots and potatoes, but ignores the roast all together. He could choke down these things, not the meat though.   
Dinner flows well, just like it always did with Finn and Kurt here, only there was less bickering. Blaine used to stay for dinner at least twice a week because he loved having that family vibe that he's missed out on for so long. They would joke, talk about sports and their days at work and school. It was always refreshing, especially coming from somewhere where dinner only happened if you made it yourself. He craved a family like this he always has.

  
Even if this wasn't his real family, it was as real as it could possibly get and he would take it.

  
"Are you okay, Blaine?" Burt asks, scrunching his brow and pointing at the boy with his fork.

  
"Yeah, I'm good. I'm actually really good. Better than I've been in a while," Blaine admits, looking up at the mechanic with a small smile, which Burt returns, his full of pride.

  
"Good," Burt says finally, nodding his head and looking up to Carole with a bright smile, which she returned.

  
"Blaine, there's something we want to talk to you about," Burt says, swallowing hit bite of food and taking a long swig of his beer bottle. Blaine looks up from his plate, his face going blank. Oh God. What could they possibly want to talk about?

  
"Okay," Blaine says, quickly, setting down his fork and wiping his hands on his napkin.

  
"Calm down, Son. It's not anything bad," Burt chuckles lightly, making Blaine relax a little and let out a soft laugh.

  
"Okay," He repeats, running his hands over his thighs.

  
"We were talking about all of this and what's the next step and all and if you want, we would love to have you move in after you finish up your treatment," Burt says softly, talking as if it was casual conversation.

  
His heart practically stops right there. He has to take a minute to realize what air was and how to breath it. This could be his home, his permanent home, or at least for a year. He wouldn't have to worry about where he would go after treatment and intruding on Damien and Marcus. He could come home with the Hummels and actually live here. With Kurt. With Finn. With Burt and Carole. With the people who have treated him like family for the longest time.

  
"We have an extra bedroom that we would turn into you room and you're already at McKinley. Kurt would be here and-Blaine? Honey, what's wrong?" Carole coos, realizing Blaine had tears rushing down his cheeks and was staring off into space at the table.

  
"I'm sorry," Blaine chuckles lightly, taking in a shaky breath and wiping at his eyes with his fingertips. "I just-" He takes in a deep breath, shutting his eyes to compose himself.

"It's just I didn't expect this and-God-" He lets out a breathy laugh, shaking his head. "I'm sorry," He takes his napkin using it to get rid of the moisture under his eyes.

  
"It's okay, don't apologize," Carole says, reaching over and putting a hand over his, which makes him have to choke back a sob.

  
"What about Kurt? Does he know? I don't want to make him feel uncomfortable or-"

  
"It was his idea, Blaine," Burt chuckles lightly. "I can't say we weren't thinking about it ourselves, but we had the same concern and Kurt came to me a couple of weeks ago and asked. How could I turn him down? You've been a part of this family for a couple years now and you always will be and we take care of our own."

  
At Burt's words, tears rush faster down his already wet cheeks.

  
"I'm sorry, it's just. I've always wanted a family like this. Loving, amazing parents. One with real Christmases and dinners and-God-" He shakes his head, letting out a wet scoff.  
"Don't be sorry. Take your time, Sweetie," Carole says, tears in her own eyes.

  
"I can't tell you how much this means to me. As I go through all of this, while me leaving the hospital may not even happen, I was so worried about where I would go after this. I can't go back to my mom. She left and I can't be around my dad anymore. He may just kill me next time and, it's just a relief to know I have somewhere to go now,"

  
"We'd never let you out on the streets, Blaine. I hope you know that," Burt says, scrunching his brow with meaning, which Blaine nods to, licking his chapped lips.

  
"You do wanna move in, then?" Carole asks, a large grin on her face. Blaine nods almost automatically.

  
"Yeah, yeah. I'd like that. I'd really like that," He says a small smile growing on his face. "Thank you, thank you so much,"

  
"Don't thank us either, because we care about you, Blaine. We'd do anything for you in a heartbeat," Burt says, patting his arm, making Blaine's cheeks turn a light pink and duck his head. Carole looks up at the clock.

  
"Oh! As much as I want to sit here and talk with you guys, we'll be late if we don't get going now," She says nodding towards the clock. The two men nod, Blaine still wiping at his eyes as he gets shakily, to his feet and Burt wraps him in a tight hug.

  
"Thank you," Blaine says, knowing one thank you was not nearly enough.

  
"Of course," Burt says, patting his back before letting him go so they can clear the table and get down to the school to surprise Kurt and Finn.

 

Blaine wanted to keep it a secret that he was coming so he could surprise his deserving boyfriend, so, on the way to the school, they stopped by and Blaine picked up a dozen roses for him for after the performance, that he was sure would be nothing less than perfection.

  
As Burt paid for their tickets, Blaine looked around anxiously for familiar faces. He knew he wasn't going to see anyone in the play due to the fact they were only about twenty minutes from show time, but for the others. Mainly for Jacob Ben Israel, because he really wanted to punch that kid.

  
He knew he couldn't though. He didn't have the strength anymore, but it was a nice thought. To him at least.

  
Sadly, he never found Jacob, but he did see the other boy he was looking for, Dave Karofsky. Surprisingly, Dave was the one that approached the boy who had wondered a little from Kurt's parents.

  
"Hey, Blaine," Dave says awkwardly, taking the the sick boy's appearance. He didn't look it his best, but he looked better than he has in the past. He was actually wearing something that were not sweatpants and a hoodie. He was wearing a pair of red chinos, that he needed a belt for, almost on the tightest loop, and a navy sweater.

  
"Blaine? I didn't know you actually knew my real name," Blaine replies, straight-faced. Dave chuckles, which makes Blaine even more confused and clutch tightly at the stems of the flowers.

  
"Are you here to see the fairy-I mean show?"

  
"Yeah, my boyfriend's in it," The former Warbler wanted to use the word boyfriend to see his reaction, but he didn't do anything, he just merely nodded and looked down at his feet. "Why are you here? You're not very cultured so I doubt you even know how to spell _Les Miserables_ ,"

  
Dave shakes his head. "No, I was working out with Azimio, someone said you were here,"

  
"And you wanted to see me?" Blaine scrunches his brow. Dave nods slowly again, refusing to make eye contact with the boy.

  
"How have you been?"

  
"Sick. Cancer," Blaine replies so bluntly, that Dave almost cringes back, almost.

  
"Yeah I heard," Dave says softly. He opens his mouth to say something, but has to try again and almost a third time before actually getting the words out. "I'm sorry,"

  
"You're sorry?" Blaine pulls his head back, clearly surprised.

  
"You know, for everything I've done to you and stuff," He shrugs. Blaine studies, him seeing how uncomfortable the boy really was.

  
"No you're not," Blaine says, eyeing the taller, stockier boy up and down. Dave snaps his head up, confusion written on his face. That clearly wasn't the reaction he was expecting. "You feel sorry for me, but you're not sorry. Now that I'm almost thirty-five pounds lighter, bald, pale, and sick, you feel bad for what you've done, but if I didn't look sick, you wouldn't feel sorry. You feel sorry for me that I have cancer and I'm not doing well, but you wouldn't take back what you've done, because you still bully and make fun of other people, Kurt being one of them,"

  
"That's not true," Dave scoffs, crossing his arms over his chest.

  
"Yeah, it is, you meathead," He nods. He just called Dave Karofsky a meathead. What the hell was he thinking? "Otherwise you wouldn't keep doing it. If you're really sorry, you'll wait until the first day of senior year, when I gain the weight back, get my tube removed and my port gone, and my hair grows back to apologize. When I look healthy again and maybe stop doing what you did to me, to other people," Blaine says, looking at the boy up and down.

  
"So, you're going to get better?"

  
"Will it change how sorry you feel?" Blaine asks. Dave doesn't say anything. Blaine nods. "You just don't want me to die, knowing I hate you or have that weight on your shoulders, knowing you bullied someone who died of cancer and that's-that's sad Dave, really sad," The boy adds, shifting his weight from foot to the other, holding the roses together in his shaking hand. "If that's how you feel, in case something does happen, I don't like you and I never will, especially after what you took from Kurt and what you've done to us," Dave looks around nervously at the mention of the kiss, but Blaine ignores it and continues. "But, don't get so worked up about it, because as much as I loathe what you've done, you're not a bad person, just someone who's confused and lost their way. You just need a break. I get it, just think about what you've done. Figure it out," He shrugs.

  
"I'm not a kid,"

  
"Then stop acting like the kindergarden bully on the playground," Blaine snaps back, making Dave rolls his jaw and Blaine nods, knowing he's won.

  
"You ready, Kid?" Burt asks, stuffing the extra bills back into his wallet and lacing his fingers with Carole's. The mechanic carefully eyes the other boy, which Dave shifts under.

  
"Yeah, I'm ready," Blaine nods, never turning from Dave as he says the words, giving the boy a small smile. He turns on his heels and starts towards his boyfriend's parents.

  
"Are you feeling okay? You look a little, uh, pale," Burt says, looking at the sick boy carefully.

  
"Yeah. I'll be alright," Blaine says, feeling a little uncomfortable, knowing Dave was still staring at him and listening. Burt nods, clapping him lightly on the back. It still makes him lurch forward a little bit due to his small form as they walked into the auditorium together and took their seats that were right in the middle of the risers, having a clear view of the stage.

  
"What did that Karofsky kid want?" Burt asks, a slight scowl on his face, as Blaine sat the flowers down nicely on the floor so they didn't get crushed.

  
"Nothing," Blaine shrugs casually, trying to brush it off, but the man still looked at him wearily, but didn't have time to argue as the curtain was starting to come up on the opening scene.

 

 _Les Miserables_ was always one of Blaine and Kurt's favorite Broadway shows, but based on Blaine's totally biased opinion, this was the best version he's ever seen. Hugh Jackman had nothing on Finn and Eddie Redmayne will never compare to his amazing boyfriend, who stole the entire show every time he walked on stage and his rendition of Empty Chairs at Empty Tables was the best version he's ever heard in his life and it sent chills down his spine and butterflies in his stomach.

  
Kurt was still angry with Quinn after what she'd done, but you couldn't even tell that there was even a tiny bit of resentment between the two because every time they had a scene together, it was mesmerizing and the passion was there and the chemistry was undeniable. A Little Fall of Rain was also perfect. Rachel and Kurt always harmonized well, but that song was perfect for the two of them and the scene was heart wrenching and even Burt teared up a little.

  
He was so engrossed in the play, that he didn't even see Dave walk in and sit down to watch it, nervously looking around as if he wouldn't want to be caught dead watching this.   
When the curtains closed, everyone was on their feet cheering wildly for the cast as they did their curtain call, Blaine clapping as loud as he could for his boyfriend, while Burt was whistling for his kids.

  
While Burt and Carole started out for the lobby, twenty minutes later, talking to a few people from around town, Blaine waited until everyone filed out from the auditorium. The boy slowly got up the steps of the stage, waiting for his favorite Marius to come out.

  
As expected, hand wrapped tightly wrapped around his dozen of red and yellow roses and another fifteen minutes later, Kurt was coming out with Mercedes and Tina to his left, laughing at some joke. Blaine's smile grows hearing him laugh, the sound always sending chills down his spine.

  
"Delivery for Kurt Hummel," Blaine announces, holding out the roses to the boy. Kurt stops in his tracks, a hand over his mouth with surprise.

  
"Blaine," He breathes, hurrying into the boy's arms, practically attacking with such force they almost got knocked down. Blaine chuckles, holding his boyfriend tightly.

  
"Hey," Blaine laughs, trying to hide the way Kurt really knocked the wind out of him. "You did so good, Baby. I'm so proud of you,"

  
"You made it. How?" Kurt asks, pulling back from his boyfriend, but just far enough so their at arm's length.

  
"I had to beg Dr. Thomas, but eventually he said yes. Damien as reluctant, but here I am. I wouldn't miss this for the world. I would run away if I had to," He chuckles, making Kurt smile. They look at each other for a brief moment before Blaine clears his throat and holds out the flowers to his boyfriend.

  
"These are for you, for being the best Marius ever," He shrugs.

  
"They're beautiful, B,"

  
"They're fake, but yeah, the are," Blaine chuckles, making Kurt throw his head back with laughter and lean over to press a soft kiss to his awaiting lips.

  
"Uh, I love you. Thank you. I'm so happy you were here to see this,"

  
"I love you too and like I said, I wouldn't miss it for the world," He shrugs, smiling like a crazy baboon. Kurt's cheeks turn a light pink at his words, feeling incredibly loved. Blaine always made him feel like that. A feeling he was unsure he would ever feel in his life, but he feels it everyday he's with this boy. Every time he walks into the room, and every time he opens his mouth, he feels loved by him. Kurt leans forward, pressing their forehead together and wrapping his arms around Blaine's neck, a small, warm smile sitting on his lips.

  
"Ew, get a room before I barf all over you guys," Santana rolls her eyes. Kurt chuckles and so does Blaine as they pull apart, Blaine's arm instinctively going to wrap around Kurt's waist and rest at the small of his back.

  
"You guys did amazing tonight," Blaine smiles as Santana and Brittany stroll out from the wings, as do Finn and Rachel, joining Mercedes and Tina.

  
"I know! We got a standing O!" Rachel cheers, jumping up and down in her spot, Finn looking happy that Rachel was happy, his arm draped across her shoulders.

  
"Did you expect anything less, Blaine?" Santana teases.

  
"From you guys? No way," Blaine teases right back, a small smile on his face. Santana smirks, crossing her arms over her chest.

  
"You guys ready?" Burt calls from the entrance way. The group turns around to look at him.

  
"I have my car, can I drive us back to the hospital?" Kurt asks, knowing Blaine would need to be home by eleven at the latest. Burt sighs heavily.

  
"Be back at the house, we'll ride to Westerville together. I don't want you driving this late, look what happened last time," Burt warns. Kurt nods his head carefully. "Finn?"

  
"I'll meet you back at the house, I have to take Rachel home,"

  
"Fair enough. See you at home, boys. Great job, girls," He says, turning back out the door.

  
"Thank you Mr. Hummel!" The girls calls at various times as he leaves.

  
"Well, we'd better go before my dads throw a fit," Rachel huffs. "Nice seeing you, Blaine," She smiles, tugging on Finn's hand so they can get to the parking lot.

  
"Us to. We have my house to ourselves tonight," Santana smiles devilishly at her girlfriend, tugging her out the door.

  
"Bye Blaine Warbler!" Brittany calls after her friend.

  
"And we have a Twilight marathon to get to. See you later, Kurt. You too, Blaine," Mercedes says, linking her arm with Tina's and heading out the door.

  
"So," Blaine sighs, "I had dinner with your parents tonight," Blaine smiles, squeezing his boyfriend's hand tightly after watching everyone leave the auditorium, leaving the couple alone.

  
"You did?" Kurt asks, raising his eyebrows with surprise.

  
"I did and they asked me something important," Blaine replies, a smirk on his face as he spoke. Kurt's eyes widen, hoping he was right with his assumption.

  
"Oh yeah and what did they ask you that was so important?" Kurt's heart felt like it was about to beat out his chest. He knew what Blaine was about to say, but he was nervous about his answer. Maybe he was wrong and they were moving too fast or it would strain their relationship or-

  
"He asked me to move in with you guys after I finish treatment," Blaine smiles at the memory and the overwhelming emotions that came with it. Kurt gasps happily, bouncing up and down, just like Rachel did not too long ago, forgetting about his worries for a few seconds.

  
"What did you say? Please tell me you said, yes," Kurt says, wrapping his arms back around Blaine's neck, hope filling his voice.

  
"Of course I did," He smiles, pulling his boyfriend closer to his chest. "As long as it doesn't make you uncomfortable," He adds, talking over Kurt's excited squeal.

  
"Why would it make me uncomfortable? I basically spend the entire day with you anyway," He playfully rolls his eyes, pressing their forehead together. Blaine chuckles lightly, knowing it was true. Since he got admitted, Kurt spent more time at the hospital than he did at home. Blaine figured it was because he cared, but a piece of him was scared that Kurt thought he wouldn't make it either and was looking to spend as much time as possible with his boyfriend.

  
"It won't strain us, right? Like things won't change. We'll still be us? We aren't moving to fast or anything?" Blaine asks, his face falling with worry.

  
"No, because next year we want to move to New York anyway, and how are we supposed to move out and live together in the same room if we can't even live under the same roof?" Kurt says, pouting slightly as his boyfriend's concerns, even if they were his concerns too.

  
"You're right," Blaine shrugs, a small grin appearing on his lips at the thought of being able to live with his boyfriend, even if they were down the hall from each other.

  
"Yay! Oh, I'm so excited! I can start clearing out the guest room and remodeling and-" He stops himself sighing happily. "It's going to be amazing," He smiles, leaning in and pulling the said boy in for a softer, more sensual kiss, their noses pressed together and their mouths working around each other's. Blaine smiles into the kiss

  
"I love you," Blaine breathes when they pull apart, trying to get his breath back.

  
"I love you more," Kurt assures him, a lazy smile on his face. Blaine returns it, pecking his lips once more. "Only if we had music," Kurt winks.

"Oh God. You're not going to serenade me are you?" Blaine teases, squeezing Kurt's hand and pulling back a little.

  
"No, I'm not going to sing to you, but we better get going though before you're late for curfew," Kurt replies, grabbing his bag that he threw to the side and slinging it over his shoulder, tugging Blaine from the auditorium and into the parking lot.

 

-0-

 

Riding in the backseat of Carole's car, with Burt and Carole up front, Burt driving and Carole in the passenger seat, and Blaine and Kurt in the back, made him, for the first time in a long time, feel normal. Like he was just a normal eighteen year old, being taken home by his boyfriend's parents after a date. He knew he wasn't. The feeding tube and the way he was still incredibly cold despite the fact that it was the end of May made it nearly impossible, but it was a nice thought.

  
Kurt had scooted into the middle seat, so he could be as close as possible to his boyfriend, their hands interlocked and sitting in Kurt's lap, the radio playing softly while they talked about the play and what an amazing show it was, because Blaine refused to let Kurt forget that he was amazing. His cheeks were turned a dark crimson from all the compliments, but he would take them, because he was Kurt after all and secretly, he enjoyed the attention. He also just enjoyed being modest.

  
"On a different topic, what the hell did Karofsky want tonight?" Burt asks, looking at Blaine through the rearview mirror. Blaine's eyebrows raise and his face falls.

  
"What? Karofsky? Did he say something to you? Did he hurt you?" Kurt asks, his brows scrunching together and turning to his boyfriend with concern. He squeezes the said boy's hand tightly in his own, trying to get him to talk.

  
"No, he didn't hurt me. I promise," Blaine assures him. "He apologized," Blaine replies, sighing heavily.

  
"What?" Burt pulls his head back, clearly confused as he pulls up to a stop light.

  
"You're just as confused as I was, until I realized what it was really about," Blaine rolls his eyes at the reminder of the confrontation with the jock. Maybe he was a little harsh on him, but he could have been harsher. The car goes silent, waiting for him to continue, which he should have expected. Burt hits the gas once more, making him that much closer to the hospital, back to the last place he wanted to be.

  
"He's not sorry. If he was sorry, he would stop bullying Kurt and all the other New Directions. He just feels bad because I'm sick. Not because he feels sorry for what he's done. Otherwise, he would say something to Kurt and to everyone else," He shrugs.

  
"You're way too smart for your age," Carole says, shaking her head, while Kurt had a proud, knowing smirk on his face.

  
"I guess," Blaine shrugs, watching the scenery unfold before him. It was dark, so he couldn't see much, but that was okay. He never got to see anything besides what he saw out his window and that got boring after the first couple of weeks, so it was still refreshing. He didn't want to go back. He had a home now. The Hummel's. He always has, he just lost that thought in the mess of everything, but now it was official. He has somewhere to go after this mess and now he doesn't want to go back to the same old hospital room, with the same old people and the same old routine.

  
"Thank you guys," Blaine blurts, taking a heavy breath and turning his attention away from his window.

  
"For what, Honey?" Carole asks, scrunching her brow.

  
"Letting me come tonight, offering me your house, for the New York trip, but mostly just being there for me these past few months, more than my parents have ever been. No matter what happened. It means everything to me. More than you could ever know," Blaine shrugs, tears stinging the back of his eyes. He was not going to cry. He was sick of crying. Tonight had been an amazing night including what happened with Dave and nothing was going to ruin that. Not one thing.

  
"You're family," Burt replies. "You know that," He adds, tearing his eyes from the road, to look at the boy in the rearview mirror. Blaine's lips curl into a smile at his words. "You were family as soon as Kurt opened his mouth about you,"

  
Blaine chuckles lightly, hanging his head down and Kurt's cheeks turn a light shade of pink, that Blaine just found adorable.

  
"Which was a lot. He never stopped talking about you," Burt teases, making everyone laugh at his words.

  
"Dad!" Kurt shakes his head, trying to get rid of his embarrassment, but that wasn't happening any time soon.

  
"It's cute," Blaine winks, squeezing Kurt's hand and leaning over to peck his warm cheek.

  
"Look, Kid, you make my son happy. Happier than I've ever seen him," Burt starts.

  
"Oh my God, please stop," Kurt says, covering his face with his free palm.

  
"And you're a good kid, Blaine. Your parents don't deserve you. I would love to have a son like you," Burt continues, ignoring Kurt's comment. Blaine smiles gently, hanging his head down, trying to hide the blush on his face. "I'm serious. You deserve to have a real family, with a mom and dad who love you and a place to call home. A place you want to come home to, and we're more than happy to offer it to you, because you deserve it, Kiddo,"

  
"Thank you," Blaine breathes, a tension being released from his shoulders at his words. a tension he didn't know he was holding, but a tension that's been there for a long time.

  
"Don't thank us," Carole replies. "We're happy to do it for you, really."

  
"Whatever I'd do for Kurt and Finn, I'd do for you too, Blaine," Burt finishes, briefly looking up to look at him in the mirror. Blaine's smile grows at his words, his heart warming. This is what having a family feels like, and it feels awesome. Spectacular even.

  
He's never had that before. His dad never told him those things. He only ever beat him down like he was nothing and that he didn't matter. His mother was never as sweet to him as Carole is. Carole calls him 'Sweetie' and 'Honey' and truly means it. It's different when it comes from her. She sounds endearing and like Blaine is her real son. He's never felt like this, but he doesn't want the feeling to go away. He wants it to stay and warm his heart, like it should have years ago when he was still a child. Better later than never.  
The sick boy smiles instead of thanking them again, knowing it would be pointless. Kurt squeezes his hand, running his thumb across his white knuckles.

  
"We've only ever told you this once or twice, but we do love you, Blaine," Burt says. Blaine's face falls and his eyes go wide. He snaps his head up to look at the man.

  
"Jesus," Blaine breathes. Burt smiles gently. "Sorry," He chuckles. Burt chuckles with him, shaking his head. "I-uh-I love you guys too," He replies, his lips finally curling into a bright smile.

  
"That's the usual response to that," Burt teases him, making Blaine's smile grow and shake his head.

  
Blaine was about to say something, add to that, but his phone started to ring. He pulls his phone from his coat pocket. Yes, it was almost June and he was still wearing a coat. He was cold. He pulls his phone out, looking at the caller ID. It was Lincoln. Blaine furrows his brow.

  
"Who is it?" Kurt asks.

  
"Lincoln," Blaine replies, letting go of Kurt's hand to slide his finger across the screen. "Hey-"

  
"She's gone," Lincoln, frazzled voice says, his voice thick with emotion and not letting Blaine even get a word in.

  
"What?" Blaine breathes. He knows who he's talking about. He knows exactly what he means, but he didn't want to believe it. "What do you mean? What?" At Blaine's panic stricken voice, Burt switches off the radio, so it's completely silent besides the voice being spoken into Blaine's ear and Blaine's own voice.

  
"Sadie. She just died, man," Lincoln sobs.

  
"No, I just saw her yesterday," Blaine says, tears stinging his eyes, threatening to fall down his cheeks.

  
"I know!" Lincoln screeches, his voice breaking with a sob. "I was in there with her and her little sister was there too. We were talking and then all of these monitors started going off. I watched her die. Oh God," Lincoln cuts himself with a sob.

  
"Lincoln, calm down," Blaine tries, but he wasn't calm either. He had tears rushing down her cheeks.

  
"Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and then she was gone. All of these doctors started coming in and I had to take her sister out, so she wouldn't see anything. God, Blaine," he sobs. That little girl was probably scarred.

  
"Where are you now?" Blaine sniffles, trying to seem okay, but tears were still staining his cheeks and his fingers were shaking. Kurt reaches over, taking his hand in his own and squeezing tightly, letting him know he wasn't alone. Burt and Carole watch him with care.

  
"In my room. Marcus is on his way here," Lincoln cries harder. "Where are you?"

  
"I'm on my way. I'll see you when I get there," Blaine says before hanging up the phone. As soon as the phone is in his lap, he falls into Kurt's lap, laying his head between his knees and bawling.

  
"Baby, what happened?" Kurt tries.

  
"Sadie's dead," Blaine sobs, gripping onto his boyfriend like he was the last thing that mattered. Kurt freezes his eyes going wider before he went back to comforting his boyfriend, knowing he needed it more than he did.

  
"Shh," Kurt comforts, petting his head carefully that was being cradled in his lap.

  
"Everyone's dying. Oh God. She's really gone,"

  
"It's okay. She's in a better place," He consoles.

  
"I'm going to throw up," Blaine breathes, sitting up and reaching for the door handle.

  
"Dad, pull over," Kurt orders, unbuckling Blaine's seatbelt along with his own.

  
"Kurt, I can't just-"

  
"Please!" Kurt begs, already unlocking the door. Burt comes to a halt, a few cars honking after him as he pulls off to the side of the road at his son's request. Before the car is in park, Blaine's throwing the door open, and crouching down so he can throw up the dinner he ate with the Hummels a few hours ago. Kurt slides out, as Burt puts the car in park, and sits behind his squatted form, rubbing his back.

  
"Oh God," Blaine cries.

  
"Shh, let it out, Baby," he says, running his cool hand across his clammy skin. Carole gets out of the car as well, a water bottle in hand.

  
"I'm sorry," Blaine whimpers, taking in a shaky breath, trying to stop the sick feeling going through his gut.

  
"Don't apologize, Sweetie," Carole says, pressing a cool hand to his forehead. Blaine doesn't say anything and insteads, focuses on his breathing. Burt's out of the car at this point, watching with worry for his third son.

  
"She's really gone," He whimpers.

  
"I'm so sorry, Honey," Kurt says, tears in his own eyes as he rubs his boyfriend's back. Blaine remains quiet, his shoulders lurching before he's leaning over again and coughing up more throw up.

  
"Keep going, Sweeite. Let it out," Carole continues, rubbing his knee for him, trying to console him.

  
"I think I'm done," Blaine sniffles, it burning the back of his throat as he goes so. He sinks back down and into Kurt's comforting arms.

  
"Here, drink this. It'll settle your stomach. Take it in slow sips," Carole instructs, opening the bottle of water for him. Blaine takes it with shaking fingers and brings it to his lips. Burt goes back to the car, searching through the center console.

  
"You're alright," Kurt comforts, rocking the slowly from side to side. Blaine shuts his eyes, focusing to keep his breathing regular. Burt comes back, kneeling beside the boy and holding a stick of gum out to him.

  
"This will help. Focus on the chewing. It always works for me," Burt says. Blaine opens his eyes just enough to take the gum and puts it into his mouth, letting the refreshing mint do its job to get rid of the taste of bile on his tongue.

  
The four of them sit like that for a while. Kurt rocking Blaine back and forth, who took casual sips of water, the minty burn hurting a little, but getting rid of the taste in his mouth. Carole and Burt sit on either side of the boys, Carole holding the water bottle and handing it to him whenever he asked for it.

  
"I'm okay," Blaine whimpers, wiping at his eyes.

  
"Are you sure?" Burt asks, looking to him with concern. Blaine nods his head, deciding he's caused enough trouble for one night.

  
"Alright," Burt nods his head, getting to his feet and heading back to the car, as does Carole. Kurt gets up as well, taking Blaine's hand up to help him to his feet.

  
"Are you really okay?" Kurt whispers, cupping his face. Blaine shakes his head.

  
"I can make it back to the hospital at least," The boy hiccups.

  
"Okay," Kurt nods his head, leaning over to press a kiss to his forehead. "Come on," He coos, helping him into the car, the two of them switching places, with Blaine now in the middle seat, and Kurt on the outside.

  
As Burt starts the car, and looks for oncoming traffic, Kurt lays his boyfriend's head on his chest, his lips pressed to the crown of his head and petting his head comfortingly, whispering soothing words to him.

 

The rest of the ride back is silent. The only sound being the wheels against the highway and Blaine's sniffles and quiet sobs, his eyes shut tight to try and calm himself, clutching the water bottle in his fist tightly.

 

 

By the time they get there, it's late. Later than his curfew, but he had a good reason. Kurt helps him out of the car and is prepared to say goodbye, but Blaine stops him from going in for a hug.

  
"Please don't leave. At least walk me up," He begs, tears still falling down his cheeks. Kurt hesitates, but nods his head, his face full of sympathy for the boy in front of him. He just couldn't get a break, could he? Kurt presses a soft kiss to his cheek before turning to his dad.

  
"I'll walk him up to his room and I promise, I'll be right back," He says softly. Burt sighs heavily, but nods his head. understanding that Blaine needed it. Kurt gives him a small smile before shutting the door and taking Blaine's hand in his own, walking into the hospital together.

  
Even if it is late, the hospital is still as busy as ever when they walk in. They walk past the patients and the waiting room, going straight for the nurse's station, which was just outside Blaine's room.

  
As expected, Damien is there, his eyes full of tears. He must have heard too. Damien groans, shaking his head, giving up on trying to work on paperwork and instead runs a nervous hand over his head full of chocolate hair. He looks up at the door and sees the couple walk in.

  
"You heard, then?" Damien asks Blaine, knowing it was a stupid question, but he asked anyway. Blaine nods, a fresh round of tears starting again. Damien opens his arms, and Kurt lets his hand go so he can fall into the nurse's arms, gripping at his scrubs as he cried.

  
"It's okay, Blaine. She's in a better place. She's not hurting anymore," He tries to soothe.

  
"I just saw her today before I left. She was talking and breathing and now she's just not. She's gone,"

  
"I know," Damien looks up at Kurt, giving him a look of sympathy, seeing the tears in his own eyes. The nurse rubs Blaine's back tenderly, holding him close to his chest. "It's okay," He repeats. Blaine shakes his head and they both knew it wasn't okay. A young girl was dead and there was nothing they could do about it. "Everything will be fine. It always is,"

  
"I just can't believe it. We knew it was coming and yet it never prepares you," Blaine cries, making Damien's dark blue scrubs turn a little wet.

  
"I know. I can't either," Damien says, pulling back from the boy and Blaine drops his hands from around his waist and returns back to his boyfriend, instantly taking his hand back and squeezing like it would be the last time.

  
"I'd ask you how you're holding up, but I can see, not too well," He sighs heavily, leaning against the nurse's station desk. Blaine scoffs, shaking his head.

  
"It's just so hard to believe. She was the first person I met here and she accepted me. She helped me see that it's okay to be who I was and that everything will turn out fine and now she's just gone. She totally gone and she's not coming back and I just-I just can't wrap my head around it all," He shakes his head again, laying his head on Kurt's shoulder for comfort. Of course, it worked. Kurt always offered comfort, no matter what the situation.

 

"I'm sorry, Blaine," Damien sighs, seeing the true hurt in his eyes.

  
"How is everyone else?" He asks, wiping at his eyes.

  
"They're all wrecks. Lincoln refuses to come from his room and Leo won't stop crying. Marcus is in with him right now," Damien replies, putting his hands on his hips. His patient nods slowly. "I'll have him come down and talk to you in a bit, okay?"

  
"I'm fine,"

  
"Blaine, stop it. You don't have to be Superman. Having someone die like that, especially when you're in the same boat, hurts. He'll be down as soon as he's finished with Leo," Blaine looks down at Kurt and his shoes. Kurt looks at him with sympathy, wanting to take the pain away from him, but it wasn't something he could do. Yet, anyway.

  
"What about Aaron?" Blaine sniffles.

  
"No idea," Damien shrugs. "He hasn't come from his room in a few days and he only lets a few people in anymore. I haven't seen him in awhile. I think Marcus got to go in though," Damien replies, swallowing thickly. Blaine nods again, squeezing Kurt's hands tightly.

  
"How about you go in your room and I'll send Marcus in when he's finished," Damien offers. Blaine nods again, lifting his head from Kurt's shoulder and letting out a deep sigh.

"It'll be okay, Blaine. I promise it will be," The said boy doesn't say anything and instead just bites the inside of his cheek and Kurt tugs him closer to his side, which was practically impossible, considering they were practically melded into one person.

  
"Come on," Kurt tries, tugging on his hand. Reluctantly, Blaine follows him inside his room. The sick boy lets his hand go, and starts to remove his coat, his shirt following, so he can slip into something more comfortable. He was exhausted from the day's events and Sadie passing away was just the cherry on top.

  
"Please, don't go. Can't you just stay here?" Blaine sniffles, slipping out of his pants and into a pair of sweatpants. He lays the dirty clothes on the back of the couch.

  
"I wish," Kurt scoffs. "I'm sorry, Honey," He says, crossing his arms over his chest.

  
"It's okay. I understand," He sighs heavily, shuffling across the room to wrap his arms around his waist and hide his face in the crook of his neck.

  
"Things will work out," Kurt comforts, pressing a soft kiss to the side of his head.

  
"I love you, Kurt,"

  
"I love you too, Blaine," Kurt says softly, kissing his head once more before pulling back to look him in the eyes. "Don't ever forget that. Ever."

  
"I won't," Blaine smile a little, which Kurt returns.

  
"Good. I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Tell me how it goes with Marcus," He says, leaning in to give him a proper kiss on the lips.

  
"Will do,"

  
"Sleep well," Kurt says, pulling him in for one more hug before letting him go totally. As Kurt leaves, Blaine has a smile on his face. Kurt just had that effect on him. He always has.

  
Marcus is quickly replacing Kurt, walking through the door, just as he's walking out. His face is red and Blaine can imagine it's from tears.

  
"Hey," Marcus says softly, sympathy filling his face.

  
"Hi," Blaine breathes, moving so he's sitting on the couch. Marcus takes that as an offer and moves a waiting chair across from him, getting comfortable.

  
"How are you holding up?"

  
"Not at all," Blaine answers, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest.

  
"What's going on in that head of yours then?" He asks, worry filling his face.

  
"Everyone keeps dying," He scoffs, shaking his head as tears threatened to fall down his cheeks again.

  
"Yeah, they are," Marcus sighs heavily, adjusting his glasses that were falling from the bridge of his nose.

  
"First, it was Miles and his was just totally unexpected. One day he was here and the next he wasn't and then Josie left, and now Sadie's gone. Only it was slow and painful for her and it's all horrible," Blaine shakes his head, rolling his eyes. He hated this. He hated it all.

  
"Yeah, it is," Marcus agrees, leaning forward in his chair, his elbows propped up on his knees. "How does that make you feel, personally,"

  
"How is it supposed to make me feel?" Blaine retorts, trying to hold back his tears, but he was failing miserably.

  
"There isn't a right or wrong way to deal with all this, Blaine. It's a lot to handle. Everything that's been going on these past few months, and there's been a lot, but I guess it's kind of a package deal with cancer,"

  
"My family leaving me is part of that package deal, then?" Blaine asks, rolling his tongue over his teeth in annoyance, not for Marcus, but for the situation.

  
"Sometimes. For some people. You'd be surprised how often it happens," The therapist shrugs. The boy visibly deflates.

  
"I guess I'm just scared," Blaine admits softly. "I mean, sometimes there's just these people in your life, that you look at and say, 'they'll never die. They're just too young. The world doesn't work that way', but then you realize that that's the only way the world works. Seeing it happen to not only Miles, but Sadie too, is horrible and it makes my heart physically ache, because I can't believe it. It's just all so surreal," He says, tears now filling up his eyes once more for what felt like the millionth time that night.

  
"That's all normal, Blaine. People deal with death in different ways and this is normal and that's okay to feel this way. You just have to remain strong," He says.

  
"I don't wanna be next," Blaine's voice is just above a whisper.

  
"You're not going to be next," Marcus replies quickly, his heart breaking for the boy in front of him.

  
"How do you know that? The same things were said to Sadie and Miles and now they're both gone. What makes me any better than them? Nothing. Nothing makes me any more important or special or different. We're all just a bunch of kids with cancer, waiting to either die or get released and our group is 2-1 now, so the odds are not on our side, are they?" Blaine snaps. He expected Marcus to be shocked, but he wasn't, not even when he raised his voice. He just remained in his seat and position, listening to the boy.

  
"I know that's what it seems, but you can't give up. Ever. You have to remain positive," at his words, Blaine falls back against the couch, rolling his eyes. "I mean it. I know people spout that to you everyday since you've been here, but you can't just throw in the towel. You throw in the towel, it wins, and you end up like Miles and Sadie. You keep pushing and you may just end up like Josie, alright? Your chemo is almost finished and you know that. You know how close you are to getting through this, so giving up now is ridiculous and stupid," He's being blunt. He's always been blunt but it's one of the few things that gets Blaine to look at things in a different way. He's stubborn. Blaine's incredibly stubborn and if you're not blunt with him and a little brutally honest, he'll never get the information through his thick skull.

  
"And I won't let you do that. Damien won't let you do that, Burt won't let you do that, and I know Kurt won't let you do that,"

  
"Okay," Blaine whimpers, looking down at his hands. "Let's say I remain positive, but I still don't get through it. I leave all of those people with the same hurt I'm feeling right now only ten times worse. Then what?" He scoffs.

  
"Then we'll push through it. We all will, because we'll know you gave it everything you had. We'll know that you put everything you have into this battle. If you give up, you leave that with us. You leave that small, sick figure, who no longer has that light in their eyes with us. You leave that depressed image with us, instead of someone who stayed strong, no matter what was thrown at them. No matter how many times they were told they weren't going to be okay. Do you understand what I mean?"

  
"Yeah," The singer nods his head, wiping at his eyes with the sleeve of his long-sleeved Warbler shirt.

  
"I've seen a lot of couple come through these doors and I've sat through a lot of marriage counselling sessions, but you only ever see a pair like you and Kurt maybe once in a blue moon. I know you already know this too, but you two were made for each other. It's insane to meet someone that early in your life, but just like you, I got lucky. I also spent almost six months in a hospital my senior year. I know what it's like to want to throw in the towel. Give up on everything. Forget it all, but you can't. It seems like this is the end, but it's not, Blaine. I didn't think I'd ever walk again and my family and Damien didn't think I'd ever wake up, but I did. I did because I had people who cared about me and I had to open my eyes to realize that and you do too. Every time I thought about giving up and throwing in the towel, I rembered Damien and the future I wanted with him. I saw my parents sitting at my hospital bed, never leaving, even when I was begging them to," He stops to chuckle a little and even Blaine smiled gently. "I know you don't have parents like that, but you do have Burt and Carole, who care about you, just like your real parents should. You need to realize that. You need to realize that with these people in your life, you can get through practically anything,"

  
Blaine's mind goes back to the conversation in the car. Burt telling him he loved him, and saying he was family. Marcus wasn't wrong. He was very right.

  
"There are going to be a lot of bumps in the road and you know that, but you've made it way too far to give up now, alright?"

  
"Okay," Blaine nods. Marcus's lips curl into a proud smile. He reaches over, putting a reassuring hand on the boy's knee, squeezing gently.

  
"You're going to be okay, Blaine. You're going to be more than okay, you just have to push your way through all of this. It's just a stepping stone on the way to something amazing, alright?"

  
"Yeah," The boy nods again, wiping away the last of his tears.

  
"Good," Marcus gets to his feet. "Come here, give me a hug," He chuckles. Blaine smiles, getting to his own feet and letting his therapist to wrap him in for a hug, squeezing him tightly. "I believe in you and Kurt believes in you too. We all do, you just have to believe it for yourself," He comforts.

  
"Okay," Blaine repeats, letting out a sob of relief, feeling a tension in his shoulders leave his body.

  
"Alright, you've had a long night, so why don't you hop into bed and we'll talk later, okay?"

  
"Yeah," The boy says again, pulling back from the hug and wiping at the last of his tears, sniffling them back up. Marcus squeezes his shoulder and gives him a proud smile before turning out from the room and heading straight to the nurse's station where his husband was.

  
Blaine lets out a deep breath, shutting the door behind the man and plopping down in bed. It had been a long night and it took a turn for the worst, but he would make it past. When he wakes up, he'll feel better. The former Warbler peels his covers back, crawling under them and curling up on his side. He nuzzles his nose against his pillow and takes in a deep breath, in through his nose and out through his mouth.

  
He shuts his eyes, waiting for sleep to take over and it quickly did and for once, despite the night's event, he slept peacefully and easily.

 

-0-

  
He didn't want to be here. He wanted to go home and curl up with a good book or an episode of Project Runway, but he couldn't. Maybe if he turned around, he could continue to pretend it didn't happen. He could pretend that he was still fighting. That he was still lying in bed, sleeping, but he wasn't. Not anymore and he never would be.

  
He was right. Positive thinking was bullshit and it didn't work. He said he was scared and he had every right to be, because now he was gone, lying in an ugly casket, his parents no where in sight. The only family member attending would be Cooper and that was the worst part.

  
Kurt should have listened to him. He should have just comforted him, instead of lying and saying it was going to be okay, because it wasn't. He was fine the night before. One moment he was fine and the next he wasn't.

  
Kurt lets out a dark sigh and opens up the door to his Navigator, checking his hair in the side mirror. He adjusts his periwinkle bow-tie, worn specifically for his late boyfriend and started towards the funeral home doors. He was a little late. The wake started an hour ago, but he couldn't force himself out of bed, so he made his parents go without him and he said he'd be there when he was ready. Not wanting to upset the boy any more, they said okay and left. He cried in the shower for forty minutes, skipping his moistrizing routine and got dressed with a heavy heart.

  
His hand hesitates over the handle. He didn't want to go in. This was the last thing he wanted to do. He didn't want to go in and face all of his friends. He couldn't deny it anymore. He couldn't. They would never get their happy ending. This was it. This was their ending and it was far from happy.

  
The boy shakes his head and opens up the door. He walks down the short hallway, knowing where the casket was. His heart was racing, going a million miles an hour and tears already stinging the back of his eyeballs.

  
As soon as he walks into the large room, everyone turns to him.

  
"I'm sorry," Nick breathes, Jeff leaning heavily on his boyfriend. Kurt shakes his head, his lip quivering. He couldn't speak. He just puts a hand over Nick's wrist and looks down. His fingers slip from Nick's wrist. As he walks towards the casket, everyone watches him, the only sound being his dress shoes against the hardwood floors. The closer he gets, the faster his tears come.

  
He doesn't even pay attention to the people there. He doesn't care.

  
The casket is black, with gold accents, just like Blaine had specified. Red and Yellow roses are covering the room in black vases, just like he wanted. Just like his note had said. All of the guys were wearing bow-ties, just like Kurt had asked. It was everything the boy had wanted, but it didn't help how Kurt's heart felt like it was in a million pieces, no it didn't just feel like it was. It was. It was broken into a tiny million pieces and it would never heal itself.

  
The countertenor, gets closer to the casket, more and more of Blaine becoming visible, but as soon as he's standing over the casket. Blaine's wearing his favorite dark blue and red cardigan, along with his favorite red and blue plaid, bowtie. His body is pale, dead, which makes sense because he is. His feeding tube is gone and his bald head looks polished.

  
Kurt lets out a loud, deafening sob. He doesn't even both to cover his mouth. He just collapses over the casket that was half open and cries harder. He reaches over, taking Blaine's hand that was crossed over his chest and pressing it to his lips.

  
"You promised!" He sobs, squeezing the lifeless hand. "You fucking promised we'd be together forever. You asshole!" He yells, tears rushing down his cheeks, the last one coming faster than the first one and his nose was dripping with snot, but he didn't care. He didn't give one tiny fuck about how he looked. "You left me!" He cries.

  
He feels two arms wrap around his waist, and Kurt collapses against them, both of them falling to the floor. Kurt doesn't even open his eyes to see who it was, he just sobs harder and harder.

  
"Kurt, please," It's Cooper. His voice just above a whisper.

  
"He fucking promised!" He sobs harder, gripping onto Cooper's suit.

  
"I know. I know," Cooper cries. Kurt cries harder, his sobs only getting louder and louder, until they become nonexistent.

 

The countertenor shoots up in bed, with a loud sob that was half a scream. He grips at his sweat-stained t-shirt like his life depended on it.

  
He's in his bedroom. It's totally dark, besides the small light coming from a small nightlight in the hallway. He's not in a funeral home, he's in his bedroom. He whips his head towards his alarm clock. It's four in the morning.

  
Kurt looks down at his legs, seeing them tangled in his sheets, his comforter completely thrown off the bed. The first thing he does is reach for his phone. Dialing a familiar number, that he knew by heart, even if it was a little difficult with his shaking fingers. He puts his phone up to his ear just as Burt comes running in the doorway, worry written all over his face.

  
It starts ringing and Kurt runs a shaking hand through his sweat stained hair. Blaine doesn't answer.

  
"No, no, no," Kurt dials it again, his chest heavy. Burt switches on the light, Kurt cringing from the sudden brightness.

  
"What the hell happened?" he asks, Finn joining him in the doorway. Kurt doesn't answer, but Blaine does.

  
"Kurt?" His voice is groggy, full of sleep and he almost feel bad for waking his boyfriend. He lets out a loud sob of relief.

  
"You're okay," Kurt sobs, gripping at his t-shirt.

  
"What? Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

  
"I just had a bad dream. I'm sorry. Go back to bed,"

  
"Kurt?" Blaine questions.

  
"I love you. I'll talk to you tomorrow," Kurt says, his heart starting to settles.

  
"I love you too?" With that, just like that, with the reassurance he was craving, Kurt hangs up before he has to explain to Blaine his nightmare.

  
"You care explaining?" Burt asks. "Finn, you can go back to bed," He says nodding down the hall. Relcutantly, the teen obeys and starts back for his bedroom, even if he was still worried about his boyfriend.

  
"Dad, it was horrible," Kurt says, tossing his phone back onto his bed and looking down at his hands. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up," he adds, wiping at his eyes.

  
"It happens to the best of us," Burt replies, sitting down on the edge of his son's bed and opening his arms. Kurt falls into them, gripping tightly onto his father, allowing him to hold him, calming him down instantly.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this last dream sequence, wasn't planned, but I had that dream a few nights ago and I had to write it in, so there it is, hope it scared you, because I woke up in tears.


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six: Funeral

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! The holidays kind of messed me up, things got a little chaotic, but here is another chapter. Enjoy and don't forget to leave a kudos if you haven't already, and leave me a comment, to brighten my day!! Enjoy!

"Honey, we can't skip it," Kurt says, reaching over to put his hand over Blaine's shaking one that was sitting in his lap.

  
They've been sitting in Kurt's Navigator for ten minutes, watching people walk into the funeral home, including, Lincoln, Leo, Josie, Aaron, and even Marcus and Damien, but Blaine refused to go in.

 

"I don't want to go in though," Blaine replies, looking down at their now conjoined hands, his shaking, boney hand sweaty from anxiety.

  
"I know. The service doesn't start for another twenty minutes and if you want to sit here for another nineteen, we will," Kurt says, squeezing his hand tightly. Blaine nods, taking in a deep breath.

  
"You know, I've never been to an actual funeral before," Blaine sniffles, still not looking up. Kurt scrunches his brow.

  
"Not one?"

  
"Nope," Blaine shakes his head, "I don't know what to expect. I know it's not going to be like it is in the movies and I don't know how I should feel or what I should do, or anything," Blaine scoffs, shaking his head with disbelief. This funeral has been bothering him for days, worried about what it would be like. He did not want to break down crying in front of everyone.

  
"Well, I remember my mom's funeral and you're right, it's not like it is in the movies. Not everyone is sobbing their eyes out, falling onto the floor, or anything like that. I know the only person that really cried at her funeral was me. My dad did a little, but he saved it mostly for when we got home. They offer you these stupid horderves, like it's some social event, when you're heart is really in two pieces, and you just can't choke down another one of those dry, disgusting cookie," Blaine lifts his head, tears already in his eyes as he looks up at his boyfriend, their hands still laced together. Kurt clears his throat before continuing.

  
"My mom had an open casket, so you walk up and look at their body, and it's horrible. I'm not going to lie, because all you want to do is will them get up, just get up and hug you, say something, but it doesn't happen. None of it does. By that time, everyone sits down and people who you didn't even know knew the person, gets up does speeches about this person, and it's incredibly sad, not going to lie. When that's done, everyone gets up and leaves, following the head car to the graveyard. Everyone throws a rose down on the casket and that's it," Kurt shrugs. Blaine nods slowly.

  
"I'm ready to go in," Blaine breathes, squeezing Kurt's hand like a lifeline. Kurt nods, leaning over the center console to press a soft kiss to the boy's cheek.

  
"Okay," He says softly, before releasing his hand so they both can get out. As they meet in front of the car, Blaine's worry returns.

  
"Do I look okay?" Blaine asks, even though he knows the answer. He doesn't. He looks sick. His black suit was too big on him, so he had to opt for a black button down and a pair of black slacks, his belt almost on the first loop, and a matching bowtie to top it off. He decided not to wear a beanie, not knowing if that was disrespectful, so instead, he was showing of his bald head, which now, he was regretting, because his head was rather cold at the moment.

  
"You look fine," Kurt replies, reaching his hand out for the boy. Blaine sucks in a deep breath, before locking their hands together and starting for the door, one hand stuffed deep inside his pocket. They walk through the doors, and down the hallway, passing a few people, most of them wearing all black, just like the two of them.

  
The closer they get to the visitation room, the tighter Blaine's grip gets on Kurt's hand, but the boy doesn't let it bother him and instead just continues down the hall at a slower pace, so Blaine doesn't have an anxiety attack right there in the hall. By the time they get there, they only have about ten minutes before the service starts. Everyone was there.  
Everyone from support group, even Josie, Damien, Molly, and Marcus as well. It looks like all of the patients were able to get out of the hospital to go, knowing it meant a lot to them. Sadie meant a lot to them.

  
As they approach the coffin, they realize it's not a usual one. Yes, a normal shape and color, but there are a ton of different messages written in all different colors, covering the thing. Things like, _"Fly high", "Rest peacefully", "We'll always care about you,"._ Things like that. A woman dressed in a short, black cocktail dress and white pearls is standing at the coffin, watching over the body.

  
"Oh God," Blaine breathes, his heart race picking up. He's never seen a dead body before. For support, Kurt squeezes his hand just as the woman turns around on her heels.  
"Hello," She greets. The woman was short, with long blonde hair, curled to perfection and hanging on her shoulders. She had a pair of bright green eyes and thinned face.   
"Hi," Blaine says softly, clearing out his throat. With the silence in the room, his voice still felt terribly loud. Everyone was speaking in whispers.

  
"Who are you?" She asks, scrunching her brows.

  
"Blaine Anderson. Sadie was a friend of mine. She-uh-she was in support group with me and she was the first person I'd met at the hospital. She was an exceptional person," Blaine says, squeezing Kurt's hand as tight as possible.

  
"Oh, I'm Laura, Sadie's mother," She says, sniffling back her tears, which was proving to be pointless considering they were still falling down her cheeks. "And you?" She looks at Kurt carefully, not even noticing their conjoined hands.

  
"Oh, sorry. I'm Kurt Hummel, Blaine's-uh-" He looks to his boyfriend, not knowing what he was supposed to say. They were still in Ohio, and a funeral was not the place to cause a scene, even if their latched hands were a dead give away.

  
"Boyfriend. Kurt's my boyfriend, also a friend of Sadie's. We hung out quite a bit, the three of us," Blaine says, giving his boyfriend a nod. The woman goes tense, but doesn't say anything.

  
"I'll let you two mourn then. Um, grab a Sharpie and go ahead and write something, wherever you can find a spot," She finishes. The pair nod, and just as she's walking part, Blaine stops her.

  
"Um, I-I'm sorry, for your loss," Blaine manages awkwardly. She turns around, nodding her head.

  
"Thank you," She says, her head bowed before turning to another man, that Blaine would assume was her husband.

  
Blaine turns his head, looking back at the casket, the body inside. She looked horrible, there was no denying it. She was bone thin, like she hadn't eaten in weeks. Her head was bald, but she had her bobbed wig on, it slipping a little down her head. She was dressed in a red dress, which looked huge on her, it pillowing in the chest area. Her eyes were sunken in, dark circles under them, hiding the orbs behind her pale eyelids. Her cheeks were thinner than Blaine's ever seen a human's cheeks, making her look like a skeleton.   
The former Warbler covers his mouth, turning into Kurt's chest. Kurt release his hand, wrapping his arms around Blaine's shoulders, holding him close to himself, allowing him to silently cry.

  
"Shh," Kurt says quietly, running hand over the back of his head, as Blaine's arms snaked around Kurt's waist. They don't stay like that for long, knowing they didn't have time. So, Blaine lets his boyfriend go, wiping at his eyes, reaching for a blue Sharpie. Kurt puts a hand on the small of his back as he reaches over, bending down slightly to write his note.

  
 _"You changed me life. Thank you. Rest with peace, -Blaine and Kurt,"_. He stands up again, putting the marker back with the other ones.

  
"Come on, let's go take our seats," Kurt says, wiping at his wet eyes. Blaine nods, hesitanty leaning over to press a soft kiss to his lips before entwining their hands and leading him to the rows of seats. Blaine takes the two seats beside Damien and Marcus, Thomas sitting in Damien's lap.

  
"Blainey!" The small toddler exclaims, causing all four of them to chuckle lightly. He hasn't seen the young boy in awhile, but usually on holidays, like Easter, Christmas, New Year's and such, he saw him, and the boy has taken quite a liking to him.

  
"Shh, remember we have to be quiet," Damien reminds his son, as the toddler climbs over Marcus to get to Blaine's lap, who happily lets him sit on his knee, cuddling into his chest. Kurt smiles brightly, rubbing the back of Blaine's hand with his thumb.

  
"Hey, Buddy," Blaine chuckles, pulling the boy tighter to his chest, and pressing a soft kiss to his head full of dark hair.

  
"Alright. Welcome, everybody," A preacher, dressed in all black and a white collar, says from the front, a podium in front of him. "It's amazing to see everybody here, I just wish it was under different circumstances, but we're all here for the same reasons. In some way, Sadie touched all of you. All of us had the opportunity to know Sadie, who was a wondeful young lady. She was a warrior. She never gave up, even as she was on her death bed, she never stopped cracking jokes or making a witty comment. I knew her very well myself," The older man pauses. "Sadie was never a very religious person, but I'll tell you that she came to me quite a few times to talk through her problems and I was always honored to do so." He pauses again, the room filled with sniffles. Kurt squeezes Blaine's hand, letting it rest in his lap, so he can pull it tightly. They were never ones for PDA, but Blaine needed that touching connection right now.

  
"We all had the pleasure in getting to know her, but I know there are other people with more memories than me. So, now, I would like to ask you guys to stand up if you have a memory you'd like to share, remind us what an amazing person she was. Let's just try to keep it positive," He looks around the room, waiting for someone. Coughs and sniffles fill the air, until a young boy, who had a head full of red hair stood up. He was probably the same age as Kurt and Blaine.

  
"I used to go to school with Sadie, before she was diagnosed, and I remember on the first day of our freshman year, everyone was really nervous, terrified even and i just remember going to lunch on the first day and one of the seniors had run into her," The boy pauses, looking down at his feet, a small smile on his face. "And she spun around and grabbed a handful of spaghetti off her tray and threw it at in his face. Everything didn't seem so scary then," The room laughs at the story, knowing it sounded just like Sadie. With that, the boy sits back down, next to a few others kids around their age. It's another minute before someone else stands up, this time, it's Damien.

  
"I was Sadie's nurse since the moment she stepped into the hospital and I knew she was going to be a handful," The man smiles, putting his hands in his pockets of his black slacks. "I went to give her her first chemo needle and I did everything right, but when I stuck the needle in, she jerked back like a foot and pretended as if it was the worst pain she'd felt in her life," Marcus smiles, probably remembering when Damien came home with the story. "Of course, I panicked and just about freaked out, because I thought I'd hurt her, but she was just being Sadie. She wasn't hurt at all. She then started laughing hysterically and I couldn't help but down the same," Everyone smiles as he sits back down, Marcus putting a supportive hand over his knee and squeezing.

  
It goes on like that for almost thirty minutes before the priest lets them out.

  
As people start filing out, the five of them stay back, waiting for the room to leave, the casket already being carried out. They weren't going to the graveyard just because he had chemo in about an hour and needed to get back to the hospital and Damien's shift started soon too.

  
"Are you okay?" Kurt asks, looking to his boyfriend with concern, Thomas now asleep in his lap, sleeping peacefully against his chest. Blaine nods, but he still has tears running down his cheeks. The countertenor leans over, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. "I love you,"

  
"Love you too," Blaine replies, his voice just above a whisper.

  
"That was really hard," Marcus admits, wiping at his wet eyes.

  
"Yeah, it was," Blaine sighs heavily. The four sit there for a few more seconds, before Damien gets to his feet, reaching for Marcus's hand, who happily takes it, squeezing gently as he gets up from the chair. Blaine gets to his feet too, adjusting the little boy, so he's resting on his hip before reconnecting their hands. Marcus and Damien lead them out, with Thomas leaning heavily on Blaine, his face snuggled against his dress shirt. Blaine wouldn't admit it, but even carrying the small boy was exhausting and felt as if he was carrying more than what he actually weighed, and Blaine was leaning into Kurt as well, their shoulders more than just brushing together.

  
"We're parked over here," Damien says, his fingers still laced with Marcus's as they got to the parking lot. The younger couple follows them through the maze of cars, until they reach a light grey Subaru. Damien opens up the back rear door and Blaine lets go of his boyfriend to set the toddler into the car seat, buckling him up safely.

  
"See you later, Buddy," He whispers, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead while he slept soundly. The other three watch the scene with love filling their eyes. Blaine steps back, allowing his nurse to shut the door, before giving both of the older men hugs.

  
"See you back at the hospital, then," Damien sighs. Blaine nods a little.

  
"Yeah, I guess," He sighs heavily too, wrapping his arms around himself and Kurt wraps an arm around his waist, which Blaine leans heavily into.

  
"You'll be okay," Marcus assures him, patting his shoulder, as his husband got into the driver's seat. "I know you've heard this a million times, but she's in a better place. She isn't suffering or hurting anymore."

  
"I know," Blaine agrees, nodding his head again, his boyfriend starting to rub soothing circles into his shoulder blade for comfort. His therapist gives him one last smile before climbing into the car, letting the younger couple to go back to Kurt's Navigator.

 

-0-

 

The room felt different. Usually, before therapy, people would be talking to each other and conversing, but this week had been rough. The only people left were Blaine, Aaron, Lincoln, and Leo. They were down by three people. It was weird. When Blaine first walked in, the room felt different. It wasn't happy or carefree at all, but it was kind of cozy, warm even. Now, it felt cold and just weird.

  
Marcus plops himself down in the front of the circle, Miles's, Josie's, and Sadie's chairs still set up as if they were still there with them.

  
"Today is a special day," He starts, a small smile grazing his features as he crosses his legs and sets his hand in lap.

  
"Why?" Lincoln scrunches his brow. "It's kind of been a rough week for us,"

  
"Yeah, it has, for all of us, but today is June third," He says, taking in a deep breath. The four of them exchange a look that all said the same thing. "What?" Marcus looks at the four of them, trying to see if any of them were understanding. "Today is National Cancer Survivor day, and you guys are just that,"

  
"We haven't really survived it yet, though," Aaron says softly from the end of the half circle, his arms crossed tight over his chest.

  
"I know, but you're surviving it. Right now you're surviving, so you're a survivor," Marcus shrugs. Blaine nods slowly, letting that sink in. Marcus was right. They were surviving already, pushing through each day, no matter how bad they really felt. They were slowly getting through it.

  
"It doesn't feel like it. I kind of just feels like we're slowly losing," Lincoln mumbles. "Miles is gone, Sadie's gone, Josie made it. It just all feels like we're slowly losing, slowly but surely withering away into nothing," He adds, his arms wrapped tight around himself.

  
"It's taken everything from us. Our hair, our muscles, our social life, our education, our friends. The list just never ends," Leo agrees, his elbows resting on his knees and leaning forward, rubbing his hands together. Blaine and Aaron nod slowly.

  
"Our families," Blaine adds, his voice small, barely there. Marcus nods, knowing it was true.

  
"But it hasn't taken you yet," He sighs, finally looking up at all four of his remaining patients. None of them say anything. "This is a really hard time. You're right. You've all lost a lot, but you're not done yet. You all still have a lot of work to do. A lot of things to get through,"

  
Leo scoffs shaking his head.

  
"I don't want to go through any of it though," He mumbles.

  
"I know, but you will," Marcus says, look specifically at the dancer. "You all have something to look forward to, something to keep you guys going. Leo, you got into NYADA, Lincoln, you have a Europe trip next Spring, Blaine, you have Kurt and your New York trip. Aaron, you have almost your entire high school career left,"

  
"I heard high school is horrible," Aaron grumbles.

  
"Not if you have someone there with you. Someone or something to get you through," Blaine says from across the boy, looking warily at the boy. He still just wasn't sure about the kid. He's been through a lot he could tell, but he was just odd. Not that he wasn't.

  
"Exactly," Marcus says, pointing at the boy. "You can look forward to finding that person or that thing. You're the youngest one here, man," Marcus gives him a small, reassuring smile, which Aaron of course returns.

  
"What was it for you?" Aaron asks, looking over to Blaine.

  
"Kurt, my boyfriend, and Glee club. Without those two things, I wouldn't be sane," He manages a small smile, a reminder that he was exactly correct. Without those two things, the Warblers, then Kurt, then the New Directions, he had no idea what he'd be. "You'll find that thing or that person. I know you will," Blaine assures him. Aaron smiles back at him, a small feeling of hope filling his chest. Marcus looks to Blaine, a proud smirk on his face.

  
"Anyway, back today," He says, letting out a light sigh, and clearing his throat. "You're all survivors, so I want everyone to say one thing that has got them here. Something that they're grateful for," Marcus says. "Lincoln, since you love going first so much, why don't you start us?" Lincoln nods his head, biting his lip as he thinks for a minute.

  
"Okay got it," He nods, running his hands over his thighs before opening his mouth to continue. "I'm thankful for all of my nurses of course, but I'm also thankful for the strong WIFI connection," He pauses, while everyone chuckled lightly. It was so Lincoln. "I wouldn't be able to survive this if I couldn't check Instagram everyday, or being able to binge every X-men movie at least once a week, or having a connection with the outside world,"

  
"Very nice," Marcus chuckles, a large grin on his face.

  
"But," He pauses, his face turning serious. "I'm also mostly thankful for Miles," The boy turns his head towards the empty chair just left of Leo. "He was my best friend, and without him, telling me I could do this, I don't think I would have,"

  
Everyone turns serious as well, Marcus nodding his head.

  
"I'd agree with that. Miles was always good with his words of wisdom," He smiles gently, as does Lincoln, obviously sharing some sort of inside joke.

  
"Leo, what about you?" The therapist says, his eyebrows raised expectantly to the boy.

  
"I'd say Josie, but I didn't meet her until I was quite a bit into this, so I'm going to say that I'm grateful for the fact that my little sister, Cassie, comes to see me at least three times a week, and every Friday she puts on a show for me, just like I used to. She kept me alive, giving me something to remember. Something to look forward to when I come home,"

  
"When. That's the key word," Marcus winks, a proud smile on his face, which Leo returns, ducking his head. "Blaine?" Blaine doesn't even have to think about it.

  
"Kurt, which all of you knew I was going to say," He chuckles, as does everyone else, knowing it was true. The two were practically attached at the hip, no matter where they went. "Kurt's been my rock. When I'm throwing up, or just feeling sick, he's always right there for me. He's my best friend, the love of my life, and I'm so grateful for him, but I'm also thankful for Cooper, my older brother," he pauses. "He dropped everything and moved to Ohio for me. He protected me from my dad when I couldn't anymore. He kept my mom safe until he couldn't. I didn't think I'd need him, hell I didn't think I'd ever see him again, but he showed up and reminded me that not everyone in my family are complete wack jobs," He chuckles lightly. "He's in New York, but he calls me almost every other day and we skype once a week. He's being the brother I've always wanted,"

  
Marcus smiles, happy to hear that Cooper was pulling through for his little brother, just like he promised. "Aaron?" Aaron takes a deep breath, thinking for a minute before speaking.

  
"I'm grateful for my parents. They're totally over protective, but if they weren't, I'd probably be in a casket, with scars on my wrists," he admits, looking down at his feet.

Everyone turns solemn, all looking at the floor. "They love me and I know that, and I know that they can get kind of crazy sometimes, but they have their best interest at heart," He shrugs. Marcus nods.

  
"Most parents do," He says, agreeing with the boy's statement. "See, we all have something or someone that makes this all a little easier. Whether that be a boyfriend, sibling,

parent, or Hugh Jackman. It's something," Lincoln laughs.

  
"In my defense, Hugh Jackman can pretty much protect me from anything. He is the Wolverine," He shrugs, making Blaine smile and Marcus hang his head with amusement.

  
"With these people and things, you guys will push through, but you have to remember to keep pushing. You guys have a lot to do, but you will get there, you just have to wait and see. Your stories aren't over yet," Marcus adds, making sure to make eye contact with every single one of the boys, letting them absorb what he was saying.

  
"Why are you always right?" Leo groans, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest.

  
"I'm a therapist. It's what I do," He shrugs, a small smile on his face.

  
"You're like Yoda or something. No matter how bad things are, you just make it seem so little. It's crazy," Lincoln shakes his head, leaning forward so his elbows are resting on his knees, his fingers laced together over his legs. Marcus laughs at that one and Blaine smiles.

  
"It's what I get paid to do and I care a lot about you kids. More than you guys know. You're all like my children. I just wanna see you guys get through this and be okay," He shrugs, his face falling. Lincoln's does too.

  
"Well, to be fair, you and Damien are kind of the parents I've always wanted," Blaine admits. Marcus smiles, bowing his head in amusement.

  
"Well, if my kid turned out to be half the people you guys are, we'll be more than satisfied," That was more his way of saying "And you're the kids I've always wanted" without insulting Damien or the little boy at home that he loved so much..

 

 

  
The rest of the session went well, going back through their normal schedule until it was time to go. Don't get him wrong, Blaine rather enjoyed going to therapy now, after pushing past the initial hate, but he still didn't want spend all day there. It was a Saturday, so that meant him and Kurt would have most of the day together to whatever they pleased. It would probably be the same as usual, just walking around the hospital and laying around his room, but it was with Kurt and he wasn't alone, so it was all perfect. Usually, if Kurt wasn't there, he was alone, and that was the worst, because then his brain started moving, and it wouldn't stop. Which would sometimes send him into a panic attack and Damien would calm him down, or sometimes even Molly if the other couple wasn't working at the time.

  
He wasted no time getting out from his uncomfortable folding chair and hurrying out the door, well, he went as fast he could go without running. Really, it wasn't that fast either, considering he was still weak and exhausted from both chemo and radiation, which had started again a couple of weeks ago, but he still tried to go fast. He knew Kurt would be there for awhile, if he was there yet that is, but he wanted the distance to be shorter and the time to be shorter.

  
He passed the nurses station, his hands stuck deep inside his pockets, and smiles when he sees Kurt sitting on the edge of his bed, bent over his phone, but he was talking to someone to his right. Blaine didn't know who it was to, but he may just be mumbling to himself, which wasn't out of the ordinary.

  
"Hey," Blaine greets, stepping through the doorway. That's when he realized that Burt, Carole, Finn, and even Rachel were in his room too. For what, he didn't know, but that didn't change the fact that they were there.

  
"Hey," Kurt smiles, stuffing his phone inside his pocket and getting to his feet to press a quick, greeting kiss to his boyfriend's lips.

  
"What are you guys doing here?" He chuckles, looking across the room, his hand settling on the small of Kurt's back.

  
"Well, we wanted to celebrate a little," Burt shrugs, getting up from the couch to pull the sick boy in for a hug, which Blaine graciously accepted. Blaine nods his head, finally understanding what this was about. The mechanic pats the boy's back gently before pulling away so Carole can pull him in for a kiss on the cheek and a tight hug, rubbing his back.

  
"Is this about it being June third?" Blaine asks, allowing Rachel to pull him in for a gentle hug, like usual. Him and Finn do a 'bro' handshake, that Kurt never quite understood while Kurt answers his question.

  
"Of course it is," Kurt shrugs. His boyfriend chuckles, finding home at Kurt's side, lacing their fingers together. "So, we know you can't have a lot of sugar, or any sugar for that matter, so we couldn't get a cake with a cute message, but I did pick you up a juice from the Lima Bean," Kurt replies, nodding towards Blaine's nightstand where a plastic cup filled to the brim with a thick, green liquid was, the straw setting beside it. "You didn't hate them the last time we had them, and it's supposed to have good protein in it,"

  
"Have I ever told you that I love you?" Blaine smiles, pulling Kurt as close as possible, so he can press a chaste kiss to his lips.

 

"Many, many times," Finn grumbles, making the couple laugh gently. "I think I've heard you two say it more than I've heard Rachel say it. And she says it all the time," He playfully rolls his eyes, plopping himself back down on the couch.

  
"That is not true! I say a perfect amount of times," The star huffs, her brow furrowed. Again, the room laughs at the small girl, even if she wasn't trying to be funny.

  
Unlike usual, they didn't just pop in a couple of movies and Burt didn't fall asleep, his head tipped back in a waiting chair. Kurt and Blaine didn't just cuddle in bed, their arms wound tight around each other, and Finn didn't yell loudly at one of the action scenes and wake up his father. They just talked.

  
The three boys and Rachel were sat on the couch together, Blaine sipping casually at his juice, because honestly, he did really like them and he should have listened to his boyfriend months and months ago about it, with Kurt under his arm. Finn's arm was wrapped around Rachel's shoulders, squeezing it every time he laughed hard, or when one of them embarrassed him. Burt and Carole sat across from them in waiting chairs and none of them were even phased when Damien came in to give him his chemo treatment. Damien just joked around with them and the family pulled him in and kept him from his job for a few minutes.

  
For the first time in awhile, Blaine's hospital room was full of noise. Talk, laughter, and teasing, which is all Blaine could have wanted. It was the best way to celebrate.

  
After Sadie had passed away, the teenage cancer wing kind of went silent for awhile. No one being able to believe she was really gone, or maybe it was because she was half the noise, but either way, the halls were rather quite and stiff. Yes, her death was expected and everyone knew it was coming, but it didn't make the death any easier. It sucked all the same.

  
When Kurt was given the advice from Carole, that they should celebrate everything, he took it to heart, and he did. He celebrated everything with his boyfriend, because even if they were small, they were victories. When you're going through cancer, it's one of the few things you can do. If you sit around all day, worrying about the future, or the possibility of a future, nothing is easy. If you get up, try and make the day worth it, fill it with love and laughter, and the few things cancer cannot take away from you, it all seems a little bit easier and when you're sick and hospitalized, you need every ounce of help that you can get, even if it seems tiny. Getting out of bed the next day seems a little bit easier. It all works.

  
Marcus was right. They should be celebrating, because Blaine was alive. He doesn't have a date or time limit of life left, he doesn't have any risky surgeries in the near future, and he's doing rather well according to Damien and Dr. Thomas. Every day, he woke up a little bit lighter, with a little more hope for his and Kurt's future and that's all he could do.

  
He couldn't wish the cancer away or pray it away, he had to fight it, that was his only option, and that's just what he was doing and would be doing for awhile. He was fighting it with every ounce of power he had left in him, even if he felt like it got smaller and smaller everyday. It was still something and that's what mattered.

  
Cancer sucked, absolutley sucked, but he was pushing, and so far, he's a survivor. There's no telling what the future might bring, or how short Blaine's will be, but right now, he was surviving whatever was thrown at him, and that's what mattered. With Kurt, the Hummels, Cooper, and the staff cheering him on, he would keep doing that until he couldn't anymore. Which hopefully, never happened, but promises can't be made until he gets the three magical words from Dr. Thomas.

  
_"You're in remission"_

  
Both Blaine and Kurt have had dreams about, just getting those three words from him, and celebrating, cheering loudly, and every time they woke up, their smiles faded, knowing it wasn't real. It was just a dream for now, but Blaine was determined to make it become a reality. He craved it. The boy was so jealous when Josie got those words, because she never got horribly sick or ill. She wasn't progressed very far, so she got the easier side, unlike Miles, Blaine, Sadie, Lincoln, and Leo. Another thing Blaine was jealous about.

  
He did and is very sick. His hands have developed a shake in the past two weeks, he throws up at least once a day, even on medication, easy bleeding, nose bleeds, the annoying tube feedings four times a day, the paled skin, bald head, weight loss, boney structure, heat loss, fatigue, the port, and the painful radiation burns. He was unlucky and got it all and still has it, which is the most annoying part.

  
He wanted his happy ending, as cliche as it sounds though, and he was determined to get it.

 

-0-

 

"Hey, Blaine," Damien greets awkwardly, for once not hauling his cart with him. It was just him, dressed in dark scrubs and sneakers, with his dark brown hair pulled into his usual tight man-bun. Blaine looks up from his book and to the nurse. He didn't look right. One hand was held behind his back and he looked guilty, horribly guilty.

  
"Hey, Damien. Is it time for chemo, already?" he asks, closing up his book and setting it aside, hoping his gut feeling was wrong and everything was a fine as it could be.

  
"No, but um-I have something for you," Damien replies, walking hesitantly through the doorway.

  
"What do you mean?" Blaine scrunches his brows together with confusion, curling his legs under him. Damien licks his lips, walking in the rest of the way and joining his patient on the couch, still not removing his hand from behind his back.

  
"A couple of days ago, someone said that while you were in radiation, someone came to see you," He starts, shifting slightly and refusing to look up at the boy in front of him.

  
"Who?" Blaine scrunches his brow. If it was Kurt, he was have stayed, if it was the Warblers, they would have given him hell about it for at least a few days. The Hummels would have stayed too, and anyone from the New Directions would have texted him or called. Who else would come see him?

  
"Well, that's the thing. She left quickly when she saw me coming down the hall, but she dropped something off for you," Damien adds, finally looking up to Blaine's confused eyes.

  
"Who? Who left me something?" Blaine asks again, getting impatient for an answer.

  
"Pamela came in," His nurse finally answers, watching Blaine's face turns from one of confusion to hurt to anger.

  
"Why? Why was she here? I told her to leave me alone! She didn't give a shit about me or my safety! Why did she come here? Why-"

  
"Blaine, I know. This is all weird. I know and confusing, but she left you a letter, hopefully it has some answers?" he hopes, finally pulling his hand from behind his back and setting a scarlet envelope into his hand, with 'Blaine Anderson' written in fancy cursive on the front in black ink. Blaine's face falls.

  
"You don't have to open it. I can take it and throw it in the trash and we can-"

  
"Can you leave me alone for a little bit?" Blaine asks, tears already gathering in his eyes. This didn't seem like something that was going to go well. It had bad juju written all over it.

  
"Are you sure?" The man asks, putting a reassuring and comforting hand on his knee. Blaine nods.

  
"Yeah, I want to read this by myself," Blaine replies, not looking up from the said letter. Damien nods slowly, respecting his wish and getting to his feet. He heads towards the door, but not before sparing the boy one last glance, the door shutting behind him, making sure to give him some privacy.

  
Blaine looks down at the letter, hate filling his eyes. He despised this. Why couldn't she just leave him alone? Listen to him for once and let him do this by himself or with the Hummels, but no, she had to come and ruin everything. Was it more money that he didn't want? Or was it a pathetic apology that would chew at his stomach until he told someone and broke down, refusing to forgive her. She had her chance and she didn't take it. She's had many chances.

  
Before he lost any more courage, he flipped the letter over, pulling open the licked tab. A piece of folded paper sat inside, his mother's cursive and neat penmenship on both sides.

  
With shaking fingers, he pull it out and unfolded it, his eyes looking over every word as he read.

  
_"Blaine,_

  
_I know you're mad at me, but it won't be forever. I tried calling you, but you never answered, so I figured I'd leave you this with one of the nurses. I know we had a fight, but there's no reason we can't make up. You're still my son and I'm still your mother, no matter how bad you want to change that. I know I don't deserve Mother of the Year Award or anything, but I am still your mother. You don't get to call the shots. I do and so does your father. Speaking of your father, he said you two talked a few weeks ago and he was actually looking forward to seeing you again. He said that you guys talked and worked a few things out, and I want you to know that I'm proud of both you for that. You're trying and that what counts. I know he's not the easiest person to be around, but he is a good person. He's just been through a lot. I still love him and I'm excited to get you home, so we can be a family again. If Cooper doesn't come home, it'll be the three of us, until you go to college, but we'll still be a family. Your dad only has a couple of weeks left of his treatment and he should be home. The doctors are letting him out a little bit earlier under the persuasion of me, because he is doing better. So much better. He's looking forward to visiting you again too. The doctors and his therapists say he's doing good, better than ever, actually. So, maybe that can happen. Please, call me or message me, or even write me something back. Tell me how you're doing. I tried asking a few nurses, but since you're eighteen now and according to them, I'm no longer and emergency contact, they won't just tell me how close you are. So, please, give me something. I want to know. Cooper won't talk to me either, and won't return my calls, so please, be the better son and call me._

  
_Alright, I guess that's it. I love you, Blaine._

  
_Your Mother."_

  
Blaine swallows thickly, tossing the letter aside. His mother still thought he was coming home. He wasn't. He refused. He wouldn't go back there. They didn't have anything over him anymore. His treatment plans were being paid for by his trust fund given to him by his grandfather, right before he died. He was eighteen and he could use it as he

pleased and that's the way he was doing it, for this exact reason. He didn't want to come home. At all. Especially with his father home, who was sure to rip him to shreds after their phone call a few weeks ago. Blaine didn't hold back, and while it seemed like a good idea then, he would pay for it later.

  
Pam wasn't sorry. She was oblivious and so dense that she didn't see what was really going on and Blaine was going to pay for it. No, he wouldn't. He refused.

  
James was an actor and manipulator. He could do as he pleased and got what he wanted, no matter who he had to step on to do it. Including his wife, his family, or his own health. He was disgusting.

  
The sick boy pushes himself from his seat, searching through his nightstand until he found what he needed. His notebook. he grabbed a pen from his bedside and sat back down on the couch, using his book as a table to write.

  
_"Mom,_

  
_No. I'm not coming back to that house. I'm moving in with Kurt and his family, because I'll be safe there. If Dad is there, then I'm not. If you're there, I'm not, because you don't care. If you cared, you would put me first, because I'm your son, instead of your abusive and alcoholic husband. Our phone call wasn't as nice as he made it seem like. All he did was call me names and he made it clear he doesn't want me there, so I'm not going home with you or him. Don't write to me, don't call me, and don't message me. I'll tear up your letter, delete your number, and ignore the texts. You also made it clear you don't want me in your life, so this is goodbye. Stop trying to contact me. If something happens to me, I'm sure someone will call you._

  
_Blaine,"_

  
The handwriting was messy and he wasn't even sure she would be able to read it, but he still folded it up and went out to the nurse's station. Damien was sitting at the desk as usual, going through paperwork.

  
"Can you send this my mom?" Blaine asks, sliding the paper over the desk and to his nurse. The man looks up, his brows furrowed.

  
"Are you sure?" He asks, slowly taking the paper from his patient. Blaine nods.

  
"It's just a courtesy letter," He replies, wiping at his eyes carefully, trying to get rid of the moisture. Damien nods, taking the letter and getting an envelope from one of the drawers.

  
"Just write the address down," he says, sliding it back to the singer, along with a pen. Blaine's shaking fingers write the correct letters down before handing it back, his handwriting worse than it was in the letter.

  
"I'll make sure to send it out," Damien adds, giving him a small, hopeful smile.

  
"Thank you," His shoulders relax instantly at his words, feeling ten times better to get that off his chest.

  
"Of course,"

  
Blaine nods, sucking in a deep breath. He goes to turn around, but his nurse stopped him.

  
"Blaine, I'm proud of you. I really am,"

  
The boy spins on his heels to look at his nurse. "Thank you," He gives him one last smile before heading back to his room to wait for Kurt to come and visit as promised.

  
He was also kind of proud of himself for doing that and not just breaking down like he usually did. Cancer could take a lot, but he refused to get rid of his courage anymore.   
He'll have to tell Kurt and Cooper eventually about this, but he didn't want to. He didn't want to bring it up. He just wanted to forget it ever happened. That this was a dream, but it wasn't it was real and if he didn't speak up, he would pay for it.

  
By the time he sits himself down on his bed, letting everything sink in, really believing everything that he just did and what was coming toward his mother, there was another knock on his door frame. The former Warbler lifts his chin to see it's Damien again.

  
"You're not okay, are you?" He asks, his face filled sympathy that Blaine was so used to by now. His words set him off. He choke on a sob that he's been holding in for awhile and shakes his head, covering his face with his hands. In two quick strides, Damien is enveloping him in a hug, holding him close like he has so many times.

  
"Let it out," He says, rubbing the boy's boney shoulder, his chin on top of his bald head.

  
"She said my dad was coming to see me," He cries, his arms still covering his face to try and hide from the tears.

  
"No. I won't let him. He's not going to hurt you. I promise. I won't let him do that to you, okay?" Damien promises, holding him closer. "I will do everything I possibly can to make sure that doesn't happen."

  
He just nods, allowing himself to be held for a few more minutes before pulling back. "You really are the best nurse, like ever," He chuckles lightly, making Damien smile and hang his head.

  
"Good, then my many years spent in college payed off," He teases, making Blaine smile. Damien reaches over to the nighstand, picking a few tissues off to hand to his patient.  
"Thanks," Blaine mumbles, using the tissues to wipe at his nose and eyes.

  
"I guess it's part of being the best nurse ever," He jokes. Blaine chuckles lightly, crumpling the tissues up in his hand.

  
"Knock knock," Kurt's small voice comes from the doorway, along with a small knock from his fist. both Blaine and Damien look up at the teen to see him with a large smile on his face. Damien returns it.

  
"Hey," Blaine chuckles, his grin only getting wider at the sight of his boyfriend.

  
"Hey, whatcha you guys talking about?" Kurt asks, as Blaine gets to his feet to greet his boyfriend with a chaste kiss, his hands resting loosely at his hips.

  
"We-" Damien started, but Blaine cut him off instantly, his smile gone. He didn't want to tell him yet.

  
"Nothing. Nothing important," Blaine finishes, shrugging his shoulders. He turns his head to look back at his nurse with a pleading look, begging him not to tell Kurt about the letter. Like everything else, he wanted to forget about it. Forget it happened. He sent his response and hopefully that will be the last of it. If she really cared about him, she'd leave it alone.

  
Kurt didn't need to worry about James coming back. He knew how much stress Kurt was under before he was put in rehab, the damage his father was doing to his boyfriend was horrible. Blaine couldn't see him like that again. It'd kill him.

  
"Just about treatment and stuff. I mean his last one is coming up at the end of the week. I'm proud of him, and he should be too. He has a reason to be," Damien finishes, catching onto Blaine's words, but he still had a stern look on his face, clearly saying he needed to tell the other boy. Kurt looks between the two guys, knowing something was off. He wasn't stupid.

  
"Yeah, it's exciting," Blaine adds, nodding his head and managing a nervous and small smile. Kurt scrunches his brow, but nods along with him, his arms crossed over his chest.   
It wasn't exciting. It was terrifying. This was his last chance. If this didn't work, then that was it. He didn't think he'd be able to go through more and more treatments, and get weaker and weaker, until he couldn't get out of bed anymore. They haven't done a check on his tumor in awhile, but Blaine had bad feeling in the bottom of his stomach. He almost didn't want to know his progress, if he made any at all.

  
He could tell everyone else was scared too. That's why Blaine was let out for the play and for Sadie's funeral. Blaine thinks it's because this could be his last chance before things get horrible. He thinks it was almost out of pity, even if Kurt has assured him it wasn't over and over again, and that it really was because he was making progress and getting better, but Blaine wouldn't-couldn't believe it. He didn't want to get his hopes up.

  
"It's happening," Kurt replies, noting the tension filling the small room. Damien clears his throat, pushing on his knees to get up.

  
"Well, I'm going to leave you two alone for the next hour or so, but you do still have chemo today," Damien says, pointing at his paitent with his pointer finger. Blaine nods his head, the last three.

  
"Okay. We'll be here," Blaine says, giving the man a guilty and unconvincing smile. Damien stares at him for a few seconds before nodding. On his way out the door, he puts a hand on Blaine's shoulder and gives him a look, that said it all, before leaving the pair alone.

  
"Blaine, what happened?" Kurt blurts, as soon as the nurse has left. Blaine's eyes go wide and his brows furrowed together.

  
"What? What do mean? Nothing happened?" The boy shakes his head, sticking his hands inside his pockets, as he spin on his heels, going to sit on the couch and avoid Kurt's eyes. He couldn't lie to him.

  
"Blaine, I'm not stupid, so don't treat me like I am," Kurt huffs, following his boyfriend. Blaine sits himself down on the couch, entangling his fingers together. Kurt waits, his arms crossed as he stands in front of his boyfriend, one eyebrow raised higher than the other, waiting for him to say something.

  
"I know. I know you're not. I'm sorry," Blaine shakes his head, shutting his eyes as he puts his head in his hands.

  
"Then tell me what's going on," Kurt replies, trying to keep his hard face on, but it was hard when Blaine was crumbling in front of him. "We're supposed to tell each other everything. The good and the bad. No matter what it is,"

  
"I know. I'm sorry," Blaine takes a deep breath, leaning back in his seat.

  
"Don't apologize, B. Just-just talk to me. Tell me what's wrong," Kurt replies, moving to sit beside his boyfriend, running a comforting hand down his back.

  
"My mom visited me a few days ago," Blaine starts, still not looking at his boyfriend. Kurt's hand freezes over Blaine's back, his eyes going wide with shock. "I was in radiation, so I didn't see her, but she left something for me,"

  
"What do you mean?" Kurt scrunches his brows together, waiting for Blaine to elaborate a little bit, to give him something to go off of.

  
"She left me a letter," Blaine answers, nodding his head slowly, his eyes locked onto the tile floor of his room.

  
"Okay, what did it say?" The counter-tenor asks.

  
"Do remember that phone call I had with my dad a few weeks ago?" He asks, lifting his head to finally look up at his boyfriend.

  
"Yeah, of course I do. It's kind of hard to forget," Kurt replies, shifting so one of his legs were resting under him, both of his hands now resting in his lap.

  
"Well, my dad told her that it was a great conversation and that he can't wait to see me in a few weeks," Blaine replies, sucking in a deep breath.

  
"A few weeks? He should have months left of his treatment," Kurt says, clearly not understanding how that happened. Blaine was even a little confused. He knew his family could pull strings, but to pull at a few rehab doctors seemed unreal.

  
"I know. Somehow, my mom got them to make it shorter. He's being released months early," Blaine scoffs as the words come from his mouth. Kurt's silent. The entire room is. Kurt just studying Blaine's face, searching for something.

  
"There's something else. What is it? What else did she say?" Kurt asks. He could clearly read Blaine like an open book, even if the boy was trying to keep it closed, from everyone.

  
"She's convinced we just had a small fight and she wants me to come home so we can 'be a family again'," Blaine can't help but roll his eyes as the words slip from between his lips. It was stupid. She could be so oblivious. "I'm not going. I can't,"

  
"I won't let you," Kurt adds on, reaching over to cover Blaine's knee with his hand and rub softly at the covered skin. Blaine looks up. "I wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing you were under the same roof as _him_. I'd be up all night worrying about you," Blaine nods slowly, both of them staring into each other's eyes, saying everything that needed to be said between them, per usual, before they both lean in and meet in the middle for a soft, but passionate kiss. Blaine brings his hand up, letting it cup Kurt's cheek, his other arm wrapping around his shoulders. Kurt holds tight onto his boyfriend, but grabbing at his boney hips.

  
The countertenor opens Blaine's mouth with his own, hearing Blaine take a large breath through his nose, it coming out a little nasily. Blaine allows his boyfriend in, letting him explore his own mouth, running it across his teeth, Blaine's brows furrowed with concentration and love for the boy sitting so close to him.

  
Kurt goes to pull back, feeling that Blaine was losing his breath, but Blaine just pulls him in farther. He had tears falling down his cheeks, as he tilted his head for a better angle, nipping at Kurt's upper lip, both of them being used to the feeding tube. It barely phased them at all anymore.

  
It's almost another minute before Blaine reluctantly pulls back from the auburn haired boy, his thumb rubbing across his cheekbone carefully, with tender, loving, care.

  
"That was-"

  
"I love you," Blaine blurts, not letting him continue, knowing what he was going to say.

  
"I love you too," Kurt says instantly, as a reflex, before looking at his boyfriend more carefully. He was crying. A few fresh tears were running down his boney cheeks and were staining the pale skin. "Hey, why are you crying?"

  
"I'm scared," Blaine admits, his shoulders falling relaxed, as if he's been holding it in for years. He presses his forehead against Kurt's, his hands finding his and entangling their fingers together.

  
"Why? Why are you scared?" Kurts asks, worry and concern filling his high-pitched voice. "Talk to me,"

  
"I'm scared that my dad is going to show up here, and do something stupid. I'm scared that this entire year would have been for nothing and I'll just end up dying anyway. I'm scared that my mom is going to get my letter and freak out and do something stupid. No, I don't like her, but I still love her, because she's my mom. I have this weird attachment to her, no matter how hard I try to get rid of her. After what she's done, I should just be able to let her go, but I can't. I still worry about what he's going to do to her and what's going to happen to her. It's stupid," He finishes, shaking his head pathetically as he finally pulls back from Kurt, falling into the couch cushions.

  
"Hey, don't do that. That's not stupid. She's still your mom. You're feelings aren't invalid," He says, moving so he can cup Blaine's cheek again, stroking his cheek with his thumb. Blaine looks back up at his boyfriend, uncertainty written on his features.

  
"Listen, I understand that all of this is hard for you. With everything going on with your mom, because she's the most oblivious person I know, not to mention, she's in denial about her husband, but with your dad and his rehab, and everything that surrounds that, but you can't worry about those thing right now, B," Kurt says, his palms still cupping his boyfriend's boney, sunken in cheeks.

  
"How? How can I not worry about something, that's hanging over my head like a boulder, waiting to fall?" Blaine scoffs, going to pull back, but Kurt wouldn't let him, instead, he just tightened his grip and pulled him closer, so their foreheads were resting against each other's.

  
"You can't worry about them, because there are more important things going on," Kurt continues. Blaine's face softens. "You're battling cancer, Blaine. Deal with that first, worry about this up coming week first. Your last few chemos are coming up, and hopefully, a surgery, hopefully physical therapy eventually. Those are the important things right now, alright?"

  
Blaine nods gently, his shoulders falling flat, and practically collapsing against his boyfriend's body weight.

  
"Let's get through this week, handle the cancer stuff, then we can talk about your parents, even though we know what's going to happen," Kurt says, allowing his boyfriend of two years to fall into his arms, his arms winding around his narrow shoulders and pulling him close.

  
"You're still going to move in with us, the guest room will still be yours, and your dad will have no part in your life, and if that's what you want for your mom too, then that's what will happen. I know my dad, Finn, and I will make sure of it. We won't let you get hurt, Blaine. You're family," Kurt doesn't even realize that the other boy is crying, until his shoulders shake with a full force sob, gripping at his boyfriend.

  
"I'm just so scared. Nothing ever goes right. My life has been a goddamn soap opera for the past eight months and I'm sick of it," Blaine hiccups between sobs, his voice and sobs muffled by Kurt's light grey jacket.

  
He wasn't wrong. Kurt's head has been spinning ever since Blaine told him he had cancer. Yes, being a couple of gay kids in love, in the middle of Ohio, was never easy, but this part year has been absolutely ridiculous. They could never breathe. One month it was his parents, the next it was his cancer, then there was Quinn, then Dave, then death, then fights, then Cooper, then-the list could go on.

  
"I know, but we're going to get through this,"

  
"You keep saying that," Blaine replies, his shoulders starting to slow and his sobs getting more sporadic.

  
"I haven't been wrong, have I?" Kurt asks, pulling back, just so he can read Blaine's expression. His cheeks were stained red, his eyes red an puffy, but most of all, he just looked tired. This letter had obviously been the breaking point for him. It's been awhile since he's seen Blaine so exhausted. He hasn't looked like this, since he fell in the shower and had gotten his medication changed. It was heartbreaking. It broke Kurt's heart into a million pieces.

  
Seeing someone you love hurt like this is the last thing you want. You just want to cuddle them, hold them, and make things better, but you can't and it was the worst thing Kurt has ever felt in his life. Ever.

  
"No," Blaine breathes, looking down at his hands, resting in their laps. Kurt smiles gently, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to his forehead.

  
"I'll always be with you, no matter what,"

  
"I hope you know that," Kurt says, his smile fading as he tugs Blaine in for another hug, holding him as tightly as possible. Blaine wraps his arms around Kurt's waist, hiding his face into his chest.

  
"Of course I do," Blaine says softly, his brow furrowed as he hugs his boyfriend as tight as he possibly can.

  
"Good. Never, ever, ever, ever forget that, okay?" The countertenor says, his cheek resting against the top of his still bald head. He sounded ridiculous, but he meant every word.

  
"I don't think you'd let me," Blaine laughs, nuzzling his nose against the fabric of Kurt's light jacket. Kurt chuckles, tugging him closer, almost into his lap.

  
"No, I won't, ever," He jokes, his lips lingering over the boy's head. His smile fades gently, just letting a few moment pass where he just held the boy in his arms, his love holding him tightly before speaking up once more. "I love you, B, so much," He breathes, his brow furrowed as he speaks, his thumb running across his shoulder blade.

  
"I love you too," Blaine sighs with content, his shoulders finally relaxing. Sometimes, all he needed was to cry and get some cuddles from his boyfriend.

 


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven: Tumor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Another one! I actually really like this one. There was a lot of research involved, but there is more to come, five chapters to be exact! So, enjoy this and another will come within the next couple of weeks or so.

"Hurry up and take it out!" Blaine says excitedly, practically bouncing in his seat, where he was sat next to his boyfriend, who just rolled his eyes at him. Playfully of course.

  
"I can't just rip it out, Blaine," Damien chuckles, snapping on a pair of gloves. Blaine's cheeks start to flush, realizing how stupid and childish he sounded, but it was his last day of chemo, and he was just waiting for his nurse to pull out the needle.

  
"Someone's excited," Kurt remarks, reaching over to place a hand over Blaine's, squeezing gently. Blaine chuckles, playfully rolling his eyes at his boyfriend. Damien pulls out the tube, tossing it into the bio hazard box on his cart.

  
"Half way there," Damien teases, raising his eyebrows, which makes Blaine's smile grow. He puts his hands over the needle, ready to pull it out, but deciding to tease him. "Ready?"

  
"I've been waiting ten months for this, of course I am," Blaine replies, squeezing Kurt's hand tightly. Damien and Kurt chuckle before Damien pulls the needle out, and removes the tape, tossing the tape in the trash, and the needle in a different box.

  
"Well, that's it. That's the last time that'll happen," Damien says with a proud smile. Blaine smiles, quickly reaching over to cup Kurt's cheek and press a kiss to his lips, making the boy giggle through the kiss, wrapping his arms around Blaine's neck. 

  
"Ugh, I'm so proud of you," Kurt screeches, tugging Blaine in for a hug, which is also practically in his lap.

  
His last chemo in the foreseeable future is finished. He's done this a million times in the past few months, and for now, he was finished. There were no more sessions planned, so he was done. They check on his tumor tomorrow, and then hopefully, he'll be off Scott free. He'll get his surgery and they'll be done. Blaine knows it won't be that easy, but it's a nice thought and he wishes it would be.

  
"So am I," Damien says, patting the boy's shoulder gently when the couple pulled apart.

  
"I just can't believe it's over," Blaine shakes his head with disbelief, running his fingers over the dots that covered his left arm, most still bright red and noticeable. It kind of made him look like some kind of addict. "Finally," He huffs, a small smile growing on his lips as he looked down at his arm, releasing Kurt's hand to do so. Kurt smiles wide, looking at the sense of pride on his boyfriend's face, and he had every right to be. He made it.

  
"I can't say I won't miss it," Damien sighs heavily, pulling his gloves off and tossing them into the trash can. Blaine laughs.

"What? Poking me with a needle everyday?" He teases, raising one eyebrow higher than the other. Damien chuckles, shaking his head.

  
"Not what I meant," Damien chuckles, leaning back on his cart and rolling his eyes at his patient. The young couple laugh, and Damien continues. "No, I'll miss seeing you like six times a day, joking around with you, caring for you," He shrugs, making Blaine's smile turn softer and softer.

  
"Awe," Blaine gets to his feet, so Damien can tug him in for a hug, both of them laughing, but Damien was crying a little. "I'll miss that part too, I guess,"

  
"Shut up and hug me," Damien laughs, patting Blaine's shoulder and squeezing him tight, really tight, because he was a lot stronger than he looked, and he already looked strong. When Blaine and Damien pulled apart, Molly was knocking on the door frame.

  
"Hey boys, I know this is a big day for you, Blaine, but Damien, we need you out here," The nurse smiles, watching as Damien wiped away his tears and Blaine chuckled, pulling his hoodie sleeves down to protect from the cold air, that always seemed to draft through the hospital hallways and rooms.

  
"Sorry, Molly," Blaine says sheepishly. The nurse shakes her head, a small smile on her face.

  
"Don't worry about it. Congratulations, Baby," She winks at him, making Blaine laugh before she was pulling away from the door frame and disappearing from line of sight.

  
"I'll see you guys later, alright? I want a full report on how your biopsy goes," Damien warns on his way out the door.

  
"Of course," Blaine nods quickly, a large grin on his face as he watches his nurse leave. As soon as he's out of the room, Kurt tackles his boyfriend with a hug.

  
"Blaine!" Kurt cheers, squeezing him tight, and almost knocking the boy flat on his ass before he could react, but Kurt manages to catch him. After getting over initial shock, the boy laughs, squeezing back, only half as strong. "You're done,"

  
"Hopefully," Blaine adds cautiously. Kurt pulls back, cupping Blaine's thin face in both his hands.

  
"Good enough for me," Kurt winks, leaning forward to press a kiss to his lips, causing Blaine to smile. Before they can kiss again, Blaine's phone is ringing from his pocket. The owner groans loudly, hanging his head down. "It's probably Cooper," Kurt replies, pressing another kiss to his forehead before letting him go, so he can answer his phone before Cooper went insane.

  
He said he'd call at exactly four o'clock, the time when Blaine's chemo should have been done, and he didn't lie. It was exactly four o'clock. For once in his life, Cooper wasn't late.

 

"Hey," Blaine answers, putting the phone to his ear with a small smile on his face. He reaches for Kurt's hand, squeezing tightly.

  
"Hey baby brother!" Cooper greets in his usual happy demeanor. "How'd it go?"

  
"It went well. It's done. My chemo treatment, for now, is finished," He announces, his smile growing as he looked over to Kurt, who had the same happiness and excitement written on his soft features.

  
"Yes! Oh my God! Yes!" He cheers happily, making Blaine let out a soft chuckle. "How do you feel?"

  
"Nervous, but also really happy, proud of myself for getting through it. Even with everything else going on," He shrugs.

  
"You should be proud! I'm proud, Blainey!" Cooper says. "Hey, look, I'm flying out in a couple of days. We go on break, and I wanna be there for you, alright?"

  
"Coop, you don't have to do that. Enjoy the city, you'll-"

  
"Shut up," Cooper says, and Blaine can practically hear the eye roll. "You're my baby brother. I told you I was going to be there for you, no matter what, and I plan on keeping that promise. I'm going to be a better big brother," 

  
His heart warms at his brother's words. He's always wanted a real older brother, and Cooper was proving himself these past few months. He's done an amazing job. Texting everday, calling every couple, and Skyping every week. He was being the big brother he was supposed to be. Doing what most people would do in this type of situation and it's all his little brother could have asked for. He's been amazing.

  
"Okay," Blaine smiles, looking up at Kurt, which just widen his smile. Kurt had the same proud grin from before, squeezing his boyfriend's hand tightly.

  
"How are you doing? Physically?"

  
"Tired. Exhausted, really, aching, but I'm pushing past it,"

  
"You always do. Just don't over work yourself, okay? Rest up. If things go right, you'll be having a major surgery soon, so take it easy, okay?" Cooper advises, worry in his voice.

  
"Yeah," Blaine breathes. "Always,"

  
"Go take a nap or something. You earned it. I'll talk to you later," His brother chuckles, but tears were in his voice, hopefully happy ones. Blaine chuckles too.

  
"Okay, I'll call you later,"

  
"Sounds good, and Blaine?"

  
"Yeah?"

  
"I love you,"

  
"Love you too, Coop,"

  
They hover over the line for a few more seconds before Blaine hangs up, leaving his brother alone in a hotel room in New York. He stuffs his phone back into his pocket, looking up at his boyfriend.

  
"He's coming home," Blaine shrugs.

  
"That's great," Kurt exclaims, his smile never leaving his face. It felt like no one could ruin this day. It was just too perfect. It was the start of, hopefully, a new beginning. The start of their downhill battle.

  
Yes, it was THEIR battle. They've fought this together. Without Kurt, Blaine wouldn't have been able to do it. He's been there for everything. Every tiny thing and it meant the world to him. They've done this together.

  
"Cooper said to take a nap, and I really don't want to disobey him, so..." Blaine starts, sighing heavily. Kurt laughs, hanging his head down with a playful eye roll.

  
"Sound great," Kurt says, tugging on Blaine's hand so he can bring him closer and wrap his arms around his neck. Blaine smiles, his hands resting on Kurt's slender hips, pulling him in for a sweet, smiling kiss. "I love you," He breathes against Blaine's soft, thin lips.

  
"I love you more. Thank you,"

  
"For what?"

  
"Being here for me. Through everything. Without you, I wouldn't have made it. I know you say never to thank you, but I want to. I don't thank you enough, but you deserve it. So, thank you,"

  
"I wouldn't be anywhere else," Kurt replies, leaning in for another simple, closed mouth kiss from his boyfriend.

 

-0-

 

Pacing. It's all he's been doing today, and no one was there to calm him down. Kurt had his last day of school, and he had exams that he couldn't miss, Damien was off for the day, and Cooper wasn't in Ohio yet.

  
His endoscopy was done yesterday, and today would be the day Dr. Thomas came in and told him what was going on with his tumor. If he was ready or not. If the surgery was happening, or if he was going right back into chemo, or worse scenario, he was done for and there was nothing they could do for. Then, he would end up just like Sadie and Miles, and all his hard work and suffering would have been for nothing.

  
He didn't sleep at all last night, too scared for today. He was up until five AM, but he was out of bed by eight, because he woke up to another nightmare. He just had too many things on his mind. Sleeping was the least of his worries.

  
Blaines bites his nails nervously, stopping in the middle of his room to look up at his clock. Eleven fifty. He would be here in ten minutes. Ten minutes to know his future.   
The singer rolls his eyes at himself, starting to pace up and down his room once more. The possibilities were endless. This could be the end. The end of his treatment or his life.

  
He wouldn't get to go to New York. He'd never get to marry Kurt or become a father. He'd never be able to hold his child, teach them how to ride a bike, change a diaper. He'd never get to do any of it. The future Kurt talked about would be just a fantasy. He'd never get to tell his child about his struggle with cancer and what it meant. He'd never get to do any of that.

  
Maybe, he would get that future. Maybe he'll get to do all of that stuff, but Blaine hasn't felt positive in awhile about his future, so he could only think of the horrible things. Only think of all the very real possibilities. The scary ones.

  
When he was getting ready to go in for his endoscopy yesterday, he broke down crying because he was so scared. He had a full blown panic attack because he was terrified. It was no longer having a schedule, knowing what the near future would bring, no, it was his future and everything was uncertain. He had no idea what was going to happen in the next few hours, let alone the next few years. No one did besides Dr. Thomas, who was hopefully on his way down here. He hated it. He hated not knowing. He hated everything being so uncertain. He just hated it.

  
While he was lying in his hospital bed, dressed in a hospital gown for the endoscopy and biopsy, crying his eyes out, and shaking to the core, Kurt had to hold him, and cradle him until he could calm down, trying to get him to focus. It was horrible and terrifying. Dr. Thomas came in, ready to get him, only to find him mid-panic attack. It took a full eight minutes before he calmed down enough to be taken in.

  
"Blaine, you're going to get dizzy," Dr. Thomas, carrying his clipboard under his arm, walked through the door, his usual smile on his face. Blaine's pulled from his thoughts, looking straight up at his doctor. "Sit," He says, nodding towards the couch. His patient nods numbly, sitting himself down on the edge of the black pullout, couch, his hands rubbing nervously together.

  
His doctor pulls up the backless stool, sitting himself across from Blaine.

  
"Kurt's not here today?" He asks, scrunching his face together.

  
"No, he had exams. His last day," Blaine replies, not really liking the small talk. It felt like he was trying to lower him into some bad news.

  
"Oh that's good," Dr. Thomas says, his small smile never leaving his face. He studies the boy's nervous posture, watching him suck in his cheek nervously, chewing on the inside of his mouth. "Blaine, take deep breaths," He instructs, putting a hand on his knee. Blaine nods slowly, doing as he's told. "Just calm down," He nods again, letting himself chill out for a second.

  
"So, what were my results?" he asks nervously, nervous to hear the answer. As soon as the words are out of his mouth, he starts to panic. He was about to know. He was so close to knowing and-

  
"I think you're ready, Blaine," Dr. Thomas smiles, cutting off Blaine's anxious thoughts. Blaine lets out a loud sob of relief, clutching over his heart. Blaine runs his hands over his head, sticking his head between his knees and letting out loud sobs of relief.

  
"Jesus Christ," He cries, laughing lightly. "I've dreamed of this moment," He admits, lifting his head to look at his doctor wiping at his eyes. His doctor laughs lightly.  
"You're not finished yet though," He warns, to which Blaine nods quickly. "But, you're ready for surgery. I'll walk you through it, alright?"

  
"Yeah, that's sound wonderful," Blaine laughs, happy tears still pouring down his cheeks.

  
"We're going to do a total gastronomy," he starts, his face turning serious, like he always did when they were discussing Blaine's cancer. "The tumor is still there, but it's smaller now, but we don't want it to spread or come back in your stomach, so we're going to totally remove your stomach. While I'm there, we'll also remove a few parts of other nearby organs and tissue if it's been touched,"

  
"Okay," Blaine nods slowly. These were all things he expected and was told he had to look forward to when he first found out about the cancer.

  
"I'll take out the omentum too, which is a fold that goes over your stomach. It's used mostly for fat deposition and infection and wound isolation,"

 

"So, without it, how does that effect me?"

  
"It really won't. It's just a protective layer. Many people lose it when it comes to cancer, so it's nothing you'll have to worry about," He explains, making Blaine nod his head carefully. "Then, what I'll do is join your food pipe to your duodenum, which will lead straight to your small intestine. Prior to your surgery, I'll take out your feeding tube, so that we can perform on your stomach, and for a few day after surgery, I'll put a nasogastric one, a new one, instead, so that we can get rid of liquid and air inside the stomach. That will come out once we know everything digestive wise works,"

  
"What does this mean for me?" Blaine asks, scrunching his face together. "What is recovery going to look like?"

  
"Well, like every surgery, you're going to be in a lot of pain. We'll try to make it as small as possible, but you'll still feel something, because we don't want to totally numb you, in fear of blood clots. You'll wake up, but you won't be able to eat for around two or three days, and we'll hope it will only be a day after that before you can start drinking, which we'll allow once we know your stomach works, and so do your intestines, clear liquids only," He explains again. "Speaking of your new stomach, there are a lot of adjustments to be made,"

 

  
"I'm willing to do whatever they are," Blaine assures him, with which his doctor nods, knowing it was true. At least hoping it was.

  
"Good. You're new stomach is small. Very small, so you can't eat big meals. At all, and since you're digesting is going to be quicker, you won't get all of the nutrients from what you eat. So, you'll need to eat often. At least six, small high nutrient meals everyday. Eating slowly is also key, and don't drink more than about four ounces of liquid during a meal. It will keep you from getting full too soon, okay?"

  
"Wow. That's a lot," Blaine sighs heavily.

  
"There's more," He warns, making Blaine's face fall flat. "When you drink, it should be an before or after meals, to avoid dehydration. Stay away from carbonated drinks as best as you can, just because they can make you feel full quickly. For now, stay away from sweets and dairy too. After surgery, a nutritionist will come in and teach you a bit more. There are a lot restrictions that you'll have, alright?" He says, making sure Blaine is following. Going by his nod, he was.

  
"Okay," He says, his voice small. He knew things would be hard, but this was already a lot to remember and there was more. Hopefully, Kurt will help him with all of this. He liked nutrition and eating right, so, with him, it should be easier. Hopefully.

  
"When will I have my surgery?" Blaine asks, scrunching his brows together, and suddenly wishing he had his boyfriend here with him, so he didn't feel quite so alone at the moment.

  
"Well, the goal is next week, Tuesday. That gives you eight days to get things in order. Make sure you have everything you'll need, and it gives us a bit more time to watch you. We'll do a few tests today on your heart and lungs, make sure that you're really ready for surgery,"

  
"What if I'm not?" Blaine asks softly. There he goes again, worrying about the bad things.

  
"Then we'll have to get you a bit more healthy, exercises, push you a bit more. We'll figure it out," He says, reaching over to pat his knee carefully. "We just need to make sure your heart can handle the surgery, and make sure your lungs can too. We don't want to lose you on the table."

  
Blaine nods his head carefully. He never even thought about dying on the table. Mid-operation. That was a new thought. A scary one. A really scary one. Never getting rolled back into recovery. Just leaving his family to wait for him, but never seeing him come through.

  
"Don't think about it too hard. If you think too hard, you'll trick yourself out," He advises. "Just be happy. You are so much closer to remission than you ever have been. You have a surgery to plan. You have people to tell. You are so close. You should be able to taste it," he chuckles lightly, making Blaine smiles.

  
"I have no doubt in my mind that by Saturday, we'll have a surgery planned," He assures his patient, squeezing Blaine's knee in a comforting way. Blaine nods again, his smile growing. Dr. Thomas's face turns serious once more. "This is a major surgery though. You'll have to do a lot of physical therapy after the surgery. Weeks and weeks of it, even after you get discharged."

  
"Discharged?" Blaine's eyes light up at the thought. Going home. It sounds wonderful.

  
"Well, if you no longer have cancer, there's no reason to keep you here," He chuckles, making Blaine blush slightly. "You'll do most of your recovery here though. We'll check on your tumor a couple of weeks after your surgery, and a couple of days, maybe a week after that, you should be out of here," He adds, happy to see Blaine's shoulders relax. It gives him something to work towards.

  
"I'd say you'll be here for maybe another month at the most," His patient's face practically glows at his words.

  
"What about chemo and radiation? Am I officially done with those now?"

  
"Chemo, yes, but radiation, no. After a week of recovery, we'll give you around two sessions a week, for about ten of fifteen minutes. It shouldn't take long, and besides the burns, you'll be fine. It will be a breeze, sound good?"

  
"Sounds wonderful," Blaine chuckles, making Dr. Thomas smile this time.

  
"Great. I'll give you an hour or so. Call who you need to, and then we can get started on those tests, so we can get results as quick as possible,"

  
"Sound fantastic,"

  
"Good. I'll see you at around two," With that, Dr. Thomas gets up from his seat, leaving Blaine alone to process everything.

  
Nothing was in the air anymore. It was all real. He did it. He passed it. He pushed through it, with Cooper, the Hummels, his nurses, and Kurt by his side. He made it.

  
A lot of adjustments needed to be made, but he was so close, that he could taste it. He hasn't been this happy in a long time. Soon, he would be living with the Hummels, with Kurt just down the hall, getting ready for New York and getting school supplies for his senior year. Blaine was so goddamn close and so excited. He did it. He would call Cooper and Kurt and surprise them with his good news, probably the best news that they've gotten in the last ten months, and let them freak out, and let Kurt cry, which was inevitable.   
Blaine looks up at the clock. It was twelve thirty-five. It was a half day of school. Kurt would be out by now. He could call him now.

 

 

-0-

 

"Kurt, do you wanna come to the Lima Bean with us? We're celebrating another successful year," Tina says, her books held tight to her chest, leaning against the locker beside Kurt's. Kurt takes down his final photo from his locker, stuffing it into his bag. It happened to be Blaine's school portrait. He always kept it up as long as he possibly could. Every single year. Blaine offered to give him a new one, but he didn't want a new one. He wanted that one.

  
"Sure," Kurt shrugs, checking his phone one last time. Blaine said he'd call if he got news, but also said he wanted Kurt to enjoy his last day of school. It was past noon, and he still hasn't called or even texted. He was getting anxious.

  
"Awesome! We never get to see you anymore," Mercedes smiles, adjusting the strap of her bag as she waited for her friends.

  
"Yeah, I've been really busy with Blaine and exams and everything going on," Kurt admits, shaking his head. Honestly, he was tired. Dead tired. It had been an exhausting few weeks and no amount of sleep could cure how tired he truly was. He really just wanted to go home and take a nap, because his junior year has been complete, and that was the way he wanted to celebrate, but it was the day was too big. There was too much going on.

  
"Well, let's go get you some coffee. It will wake you up. Santana, Brittany, and Rachel are coming too," Tina says, locking arms with Kurt's, earning a smile from the boy.

  
"A coffee sounds wonderful," He says, his smile growing as they reach the parking lot. Kurt had his car, so he had to drive alone, but they would meet him there. He filled his short drive with the 'Cabaret' soundtrack, trying to keep his mind of things. Today was the day. Today was the day they would know, and his mind was racing. If he thought too much, he would give up. He needed something else to focus on, and Alan Cummings was a great way to do it.

  
By the time he arrives at the Lima Bean, he sees the girls walk in, not even bothering to wait for him to arrive, not a surprise. He hurries out of his car, catching up with them by the time they're in line. Somehow, they had beaten the after school rush, and we able to order their coffees quite quickly. Kurt got himself a nonfat mocha grande, just like always, but he also picked up a biscotti, in honor of his boyfriend, who truly couldn't live without them. Kurt was surprised he made it this long without having one.

  
The large group sits themselves at one of the largest tables available in the middle of the cafe, and start going on about their summer plans.

  
"Well, I need to start working for my NYADA audition," Rachel says. "I need to start looking at sheet music. My audition needs to be perfect. Absolutely perfect."

  
"You're just going to pick 'Don't Rain on my Parade' anyway, so what's the point?" Tina asks, scrunching her brow as she picked at her chocolate chip cookie. Rachel glares at her, to which the group laughs lightly.

  
"I'll be trying to get Lord Tubbington out of his gang. I don't like him smoking. He's going to ruin his singing voice," Brittany mumbles, an arm wrapped around Santana's. Kurt cocks his head to side with confusion. The things she came up with were incredible and even after almost three years of being her friend, he didn't understand it.

  
"Kurt, what about you?" Rachel asks her friend, taking a sip of her mocha.

  
"Hospitals and more hospitals, but hopefully a trip to New York too, and not a graveyard," He mumbles the last part, no one catching on luckily. He didn't mean to be negative, but he didn't want to get his hopes up.

  
"New York?" Mercedes asks.

  
"Yeah, Blaine and I have a trip planned," Kurt says softly, playing with the wrapper on his cup. The other girl nods with him. He was excited for it though. Although, there was a piece that was scared. Very scared.

  
"That-" Rachel starts, but Kurt's phone started to ring in his pocket, making her quite talking, not bothering to talk over it. Kurt instantly reaches for it, his fingers fumbling as he checked the caller ID. As expected, it was his boyfriend. He quickly slides the green button over and puts it to his ear.

  
"Blaine?" He wasn't trying to seem so anxious, but he was very anxious. Very anxious.

  
"Hey, Baby," Blaine greets. It was monotone. No emotion at all, giving him nothing to go off of. He couldn't tell if it was good or bad news.

  
"Blaine, how was your appointment? What did Dr. Thomas say?" Kurt asks, playing with his cup as he looks up at the girls, almost all of them confused. He wanted to know. He didn't want to small talk at the moment.

  
"Well, hopefully by Tuesday, I'll have a surgery done," He says it so casually, that it takes a moment for Kurt to catch on, before he's cupping his mouth, to make sure his loud sob didn't echo through the cafe and cause too much attention, even if a couple of people did turn their heads.

  
"Baby, please don't cry, or I'll cry," Blaine says from the other end of the line, tears in his voice. Kurt lays his head against the table, crying even harder, tears now pouring down his cheeks, racing against each other.

  
"Blaine," He breathes, hiccuping on his words. He couldn't stop crying. He lifts his head putting a hand over his forehead. "You're not joking, right? You're totally serious?" His heart stops.

  
"Yes, I am totally serious. Dr. Thomas just left. You're the first person I called because you've been here for me through everything, Kurt. I wanted you to know first. I just wish you were here."

  
"Awe, Baby," Kurt chuckles lightly, wiping at his eyes. He was an emotional wreck right now. His mind was blurry and messy. He couldn't form real sentences and he couldn't think real words.

  
"I know," Blaine says, no longer trying to stop himself from crying. Kurt was full on crying, almost sobbing loudly, but tears were pouring down his cheeks, staining them a light pink

  
"This is happening. This is really, really happening, isn't it?" Kurt asks, chuckling, despite the tears rushing down his cheeks.

  
"Kurt, what's wrong? What's going on?" Rachel asks frantically, worry in her voice. Getting a phone call from your boyfriend with cancer, then breaking down into tears, didn't seem like a good sign. Kurt shakes his head, grabbing a napkin from the middle of the table to wipe at his red cheeks. He decides on explaining after the phone call. He wanted to talk to Blaine, not Rachel or anyone else, actually.

  
"Yeah, it is. It's really happening. they're doing a few more tests on my heart and lungs today, then, hopefully, I'll have surgery on Tuesday," Blaine pauses, hiccuping out a sob. "I did it,"

  
"You did. God, I love you so much," Kurt cries, bringing a shaking hand to try and get rid of his tears. "Oh, baby," He cooed.

  
"I love you too," Blaine chuckles, it filled with tears.

  
"I'm so proud of you, Blaine," Kurt says, his voice going soft with a small sob, knowing all of his friends were watching him with worry.

  
"Me too," Blaine chuckles. "Are you coming to see me today?" He sniffles, his voice thick with emotion.

  
"Yes! Yes! I'm on my way, give me a half hour, okay?" Kurt promises, already grabbing his things from the table and from the back of his chair.

  
"Okay, I love you so much," Blaine laughs.

  
"I love you too. I'll see you soon, Baby, " Kurt says, sniffling back his tears before he hung up, leaving Blaine alone. Kurt shoves his phone into his pocket, a large smile on his face as he stands.

  
"Woah! Where are you going, white boy?" Mercedes asks, confusion written on her face.

  
"The hospital. Blaine's getting surgery on his tumor next week," Kurt smiles.

  
"What? Is he okay?" Tina asks, still confused, not truly understanding what a big deal this was.

 

"Yes! He's fantastic! He did it. The chemo worked! The chemo totally worked!" Kurt admits, getting choked up again.

  
"Oh my God!" Rachel cheers, getting to her feet and giving her friend a tight hug. "That's amazing!" She adds cheerfully. Kurt smiles, letting her go, so he can grab his coffee.  
"Is he like healthy now? I'm confused," Santana says, her arms crossed over his chest, but not out of sass, but out of curiosity.

  
"No, it just means he's finished with chemo. It means a new start. It means that soon, he'll be in remission and he can come home and we can go to New York. It's a start to all of the amazing things yet to come."

  
"Yay! You can keep your unicorn, then," Brittany cheers, clapping her hands softly together. Kurt's heart warms. She was right.

  
"I can keep my unicorn," Kurt smiles, still wiping at his cheeks. "Now, I'm going to go see my unicorn, and kiss him like there's no tomorrow," He chuckles, heading towards the door.

  
"Wanky," Santana mumbles, making Kurt playfully roll his eyes at the girl.

  
"Tell Blaine we said congratulations! We'll go see him this weekend!" Tina says, a large grin on her face, as Kurt starts towards the door, a large grin on his face.

  
"I will!" Kurt calls, hurrying out the door and to his car, wanting to get to the hospital as quick as he possibly could.

  
As soon as he's in his car, he lets out a sob, leaning back in his seat, his elbow resting on his window ceil and his hand covering his mouth.

  
He couldn't really drive if he was crying this hard. He couldn't really see the road even if he tried. He lets out a loud laugh, shaking his head. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't even fathom it. Blaine made it. Well, he was making it. They weren't out of the woods yet, but they were so much closer. They were so, so much closer.

  
Soon, they would be in New York, Blaine healthy and hopefully dancing in their hotel room. That's all Kurt wanted. He just wanted Blaine to be healthy and happy.

 

-0-

 

Cooper hated airports. They were incredibly crowded, especially at the start of summer, there were a lot of babies crying, and it was always so loud. He was in Columbus, just getting off the flight, and he was waiting for his Uber to get him to a rental car service. So, he had about twenty minutes to waste.

  
The actor was hoping Blaine would have called him by now, it being almost one o'clock in the afternoon, but he hasn't. His little brother was probably with Kurt at the moment, cuddling away like there's no tomorrow.

  
He inwardly groans, rolling his eyes. At a time like this, he wished he still talked to his parents so they could come pick him up instead, or that Blaine could come and pick him up, because now he was stuck spending ten minutes with a stranger, then stuck having to drive hours by himself. He also wasn't looking forward to spending the next few weeks in a hotel room, because there was no way he was staying with his parents.

  
He was avoiding his parents. He hasn't talked to his dad in months and he hasn't talked to his mom in months either, and he didn't want to frankly. After what happened with Blaine and the way she walked out, he was done. He was finished with her. He also found out about the letter she left for his brother, and that made his blood boil.   
That's why he didn't plan on leaving Blaine until after he moved into the Hummel's house and made sure he was safe. He was determined to be a good big brother, and making sure his brother was safe was number one on that list.

  
His phone starting to ring signaling a Facetime was coming through, broke him from his thoughts, and caused him to jump a little. It was so loud in the airport no one even realized that it was ringing, so he just dug his phone from his leather jacket and saw it was a Facetime from his said little brother that he was just thinking about. Without a second thought, he slide the green call button over, happy to see his brother's face come through the screen. Besides his smile, he didn't look any different. He was wearing his usual black beanie and a hoodie. He was just as pale his he remembered and skinny too, the feeding tube clearly wasn't making him gain weight.

  
"Hey, Squirt," Cooper greets, his face breaking into a small smile.

  
"Hey, Coop, where are you?" He asks, a large grin on his face. Something told him he knew something Cooper didn't.

  
"At the airport waiting for my Uber," Cooper grumbles, rolling his eyes.

  
"When will you be here?" Blaine asks, his smile growing.

  
"Okay, what the hell is going on?"

  
"What do you mean? Nothing is going on," Blaine defends, shrugging his shoulders.

  
"Blaine, you look like you just sucked your boyfriend off in the men's bathroom and didn't get caught, what the hell is wrong with you?" He asks again, his face falling and his brow scrunching together.

  
"Cooper, gross," Blaine rolls his eyes, his smile never leaving his face. "Well, I just got off the phone with Kurt, and I wanted to give you the same news," He shrugs casually.   
"What news? Blaine?" Cooper's eyes start to worry.

  
"Dr. Thomas came in today and he thinks that I am ready to have surgery on my tumor. He thinks I'm ready for it to be removed," Blaine announces, his smile growing, even if it didn't seem possible. Cooper heart stops, his eyes going wide before he jumps out of his seat, cheering loudly, making quite a few people turn their heads, and a few mothers glare at him.

  
"Sorry, my baby brother is having his tumor taken out. I'm allowed to be happy," he says loudly, even though the mothers still didn't seem very happy with him. Cooper rolls his eyes and sits back down when he hears Blaine laughs on the other end. "Blainey-wait, you're not fucking with me, right? Because if you are, I'm going to beat your ass, cancer or not," Cooper warns, pointing his finger at his brother through the camera. Blaine laughs, a genuine laugh. A laugh Cooper hasn't heard in a long time, which was enough for his brother.

  
"No, I'm not fucking with you. I'm serious. I'm very serious," Blaine smiles.

  
"Jesus Christ! I am so proud of you, Blainey!"

  
His little brother laughs, shaking his head.

  
"You're beating cancer, Blaine! The big C word that no one wants to talk about, you're making it your bitch," He teases, making Blaine toss his head back with laughter. "I'm serious," Cooper adds, despite the smile on his face. "You're really doing this. You deserve so much more credit. Your survival rates were under twenty percent, Blaine. You're defying the odds. You're amazing, Squirt!"

  
"I've never really thought about it like that," He replies, scrunching his brow.

  
"You need to, because this is something you've never dealt with before, and hopefully, you'll never have to again, but you're still doing it. You're taking it for what it is and you're kicking ass and I'm so proud of you. Incredibly proud of you," Cooper says, his voice getting quiet, because he was getting emotional.

  
"Don't get so emotional!" Blaine teases, making Cooper hang his head and shake his head.

  
"I'm sorry!" He chuckles. "You just mean the world to me, Blaine, and I'm so happy that this is happening. That you're making it through this and pushing past it. You always have and it's just incredible, Blaine,"

  
Blaine shakes his head.

  
"Love you too, Coop,"

  
The older Anderson smiles gently, taking in a deep breath. He leans back in his chair.

  
"How you feeling?" He asks finally. His smile wide with excitement.

  
"Tired, but excited. I'm just so happy," Blaine says, plopping himself down on his bed, so he's lying down against his pillows, putting a hand over his forehead.

  
"So am I!" He cries, shaking his head and running a hand over his face. "I never thought this day would come honestly. I thought we'd never be here, that you would never be here, but I'm so excited that you are, Blaine."

  
"Me too. I feel so relieved. To know that I'm going somewhere, you know? Like I'm finally making progress, it just makes me so happy," He admits, a large grin on his face. Cooper's smile grows, watching his brother with a large sense of pride in his eyes. "It's been months of the same thing and we've finally gotten somewhere."

  
"What's next? What's the plan? When's the surgery?" Cooper asks.

  
"Today I go in for a few tests, make sure my heart and my lungs can take the operation, then if things come back okay, Tuesday, I'll have the operation done," Blaine explains, his smile firm on his face.

  
"What are they doing? A total one or a partial?" Cooper asks again, wanting to know as much as he could.

  
"Total. There's a lot of adjustments, but I'm so excited for it to happen. So excited," Blaine pauses, running a hand over his chest. "I'm excited to have my life back. I'm excited to go back to school, go to New York, and I'm excited to start singing and dancing again. I'm just so excited," He shrugs, shaking his head with disbelief.

  
"I'll be there every step of the way, B. I don't plan on going back to New York until I have to, and that shouldn't be until July, so you're in for a whole lot of me," Cooper laughs. Blaine smiles.

 

"I'll happily have you around, Cooper. You're not as insufferable as I thought," he teases, making Cooper roll his eyes playfully.

  
Cooper goes to say something else, but a notification, saying his Uber was here, made him pause.

  
"Alright, my ride is here, so I'll see you when I get there, okay? I'll be there in a couple of hours," He promises, getting to his feet and grabbing his luggage, towing it behind him.

  
"Alright, sounds good," Blaine smiles.

  
"Love you, Blainey,"

  
"You too, Coop,"

  
Cooper ends the Facetime, stuffing his phone in his pocket and starting for the airport entrance. He couldn't wait to get to the hospital so he could wrap his brother in a large hug, lifting him off his feet. This was going to be the longest ride of his life.

  
His driver puts his luggage in the back, and Cooper climbs into the back seat. It was just a short drive to the rental car place and Cooper was anxious to get to his baby brother.   
"So, what brings you to Ohio?" His driver asks, obviously trying to get a good rating for his driving.

  
"I'm from here, but my baby brother is getting his stomach tumor out soon," Just saying the words made Cooper's face light up. It was happening. Blaine was getting the tumor removed. Things were going to get better. Blaine was going to get healthy again. He was going to be dancing, singing, and everything else that comes with it. He's going to be Blaine again, not some sick boy that's unrecognizable. He's going to be healthy and, hopefully, happy. He couldn't wait to see the day.

 

-0-

 

It was Sunday. Blaine's surgery had been scheduled yesterday, as promised, for Tuesday morning at five AM. It would be a long day and a long recovery, but it would be worth it. He should be excited, bouncing up and down like a mad man, but he was barely able to get out of bed.

  
Cooper was with him, hovering over him like he was his father, and Kurt was on his way from Lima for his daily visit. Blaine was lying in bed, curled up because he had a horrible stomach ache.

  
"Blaine, what's going on?" Cooper asks, kneeling beside his brother.

  
"My stomach just hurts," Blaine replies. "And I feel like I'm going to throw up," He adds nuzzling his nose against the pillow. The older Anderson furrows his brows together, putting a hand over his shoulder and rubbing gently.

  
He looked sick. He wasn't pale, but green, his skin glistening with a fresh layer of sweat on his forehead. The boy was barely staying awake anymore, his eyes slowly falling shut, and he was taking deep breaths in and out. One pale arm was wrapped around his stomach, holding it tightly.

  
"Blaine, I think I should get Damien," He suggest, moving his hand, so he's running his thumb across his temple in a caring way.

  
"No, I'm fine. I get stomach aches all the time. I just want Kurt to get here," He mumbles. Cooper takes a deep breath, biting his bottom lip. He knows he should call one of the nurses, but if he did, Blaine would kill him. It would get him even more worked up.

  
"Blaine, I really-"

  
"Cooper, please, just let me sleep for a little bit," Blaine begs, his voice tiny as he spoke. His older brother sighs heavily, deciding what was best. "I'll just sleep it off, please. I always do," he tries again, nuzzling his nose against his pillow, never bothering to look at his brother, just keeping his eyes shut. Cooper nods slowly, and against his better judgment, gets to his feet and sits himself on the pull out couch, allowing his brother to fall asleep.

  
Cooper watches him the entire time. He knew he wasn't okay, but if he were to tell someone, Blaine would kick his ass. He would wait for Kurt to get here. He's been dealing with this longer. He would know what to do.

  
He doesn't sleep for long though, maybe fifteen minutes, before his eyes shoot open and he's scrambling for the bathroom, his foot getting tangled in his bed sheet. Cooper isn't far behind him, hot on his heels.

  
Blaine smacks his knees against he tile, almost not being able to flip the toilet lid up before he's vomiting into the water. He should have told someone. He should have called Kurt or talked to Damien.

  
"Blaine," Cooper breathes from the doorway, kneeling down beside his brother, while he threw up. Blaine groans, bringing a shaking hand to his forehead, it holding his heavy head up.

  
"I'm fine, I throw up all the time," He says, letting his eyes fall shut and breathe softly, trying to calm down and get his breathing to normal.

  
"With chemo. You haven't had chemo in days now," Cooper comments, his face scrunched with concern.

  
"I'm fine," He repeats.

  
"Why are you being so insistent on not getting help?" He argues, shaking his head with disbelief. Blaine looked sick. Sicker than Cooper has ever seen him. He needs to call someone.

  
"Cooper, can you wait for me back in the room. I'll take a shower and I'll feel better," Blaine breathes, leaning back against the wall. 'If I don't, I'll get help."  
"Blaine-"

  
"Cooper, please," Blaine begs, shutting his eyes tight, and looking six years younger, with his sunken cheeks and small form. The older Anderson sighs heavily, but eventually nods his head. He gets to his feet, pressing a kiss to the top of his bald head before leaving him alone in the bathroom, making sure to shut the door behind him.

  
Blaine heaves himself off the floor, which proves to be harder than it should have been. When he's finally right on his feet, it takes a few seconds for him to adjust, his head starting to swim from the adjustment. He shakes his head, shuffling to the shower to switch on the water.

  
He slowly sheds himself of his clothes and steps in, not even caring that the water wasn't totally hot yet, it was barely warm. The boy takes deep breaths as he leans against the shower wall, palms pressed against the grout, his head hanging down.

  
Usually, a shower would calm him down, but it didn't help at all. He was only in there for ten minutes before he was leaning over, his shoulders heaving as he threw up again, all over the shower floor.

  
"Jesus Christ," Blaine breathes, watching it slide down and mix with the water.

  
He's never felt like this in his life. He's felt weak and sick before, but this was ridiculous. His stomach felt like daggers, also mixed with nausea. His head was pounding and it was swimming, like he was stuck in a pool full of water, unable to understand much. Standing took so much energy, his legs weak and shaking. If he wasn't leaning so heavily on the shower wall, he would have fallen over.

  
He stands there for another five minutes, dry heaving, before he's throwing up again, only this time with a mix of red. His eyes go wide. He needed help, He couldn't deny it. He was throwing up blood.

  
As quick as he could without falling over, he switched off the water, and reached for a towel, wrapping it around his waist loosely.

  
He takes one step out from the shower, before the feeling returns and he's kneeling in front of the toilet again. There was more redness this time.

  
"Shit," Blaine whispers, pushing himself off the floor, stumbling as his heels hit the floor. He grabs the sweatpants and shirt from before his shower, pulling them both on, the towel falling to the floor. The former Warbler uses the wall to hold himself up, a wave of dizziness overcoming him.

  
"Make it to bed," Blaine whispers to himself, walking around the room and to the door, using the wall for help. His head felt like it weighed a million pounds, like he was gonna pass out any second. He opens up the door knob after two tries, pulling the too heavy door open.

  
Cooper was in front of it, pacing up and down the room, his face full of concern for his baby brother.

  
"Cooper," Blaine breathes, his eyelids growing heavy. His brother snaps his head up towards the door, worry filling his eyes as he sees his brother grip at the doorway for support. "I'm gonna p-pass out," Blaine stutters. With that, his eyes fall shut.

  
If it wasn't for Cooper's quick actions, Blaine would have fell to the floor and smacked his precious, bald head against the tile.

  
"Blainey?" Cooper tries, tears gathering in his eyes, his brother's head laying in his lap. Of course, he doesn't answer.

  
"Help!" Cooper screams loudly, trying to get his little brother to wake up. "Damien! Someone, please!" He yells, tears now falling down his cheeks and onto Blaine's shirt sleeve. "Come on, come on, please," He begs, smacking his cheek a little, but he doesn't even move.

  
"Help!" Cooper screams again, not even hearing the footsteps come through the room. Before he knows it, Damien is kneeling beside him, working over his brother as more people filed in.

 

The next twenty minutes flew by quickly. It was all a blur of nurses and doctors, and before he knew it, Blaine was being taken from the hospital room, an oxygen mask over his face and surrounded by nurses and Dr. Thomas, leaving Cooper alone. All alone and not knowing what to do.

  
Kurt arrives just as Blaine is being rolled out, Dr. Thomas yelling something about emergency and operation. The heartbreak in his eyes, watching his boyfriend roll out from his room, made Cooper let out a loud sob.

  
"What's going on? Damien, what's going on? What's-" Damien cuts him off, shaking his head, seeing how truly panicked the boy way.

  
"He needs his tumor removed. Now. We'll be out in a few hours," He says quickly, rushing the said boy down the hallway. Kurt's eyes go wide. Seeing him start to waver, Cooper hurried his steps towards the boy, and caught him before he could collapse onto the floor in the middle of the hall.

  
"Come on," Cooper tries, getting him back to his feet and helping, a now sobbing Kurt, into the room and into a waiting chair.

  
"Cooper, what the fuck happened?" Kurt screeches, pushing on Cooper's chest to look at him.

  
"He didn't feel well, said he had a stomach ache. He was throwing up, but he said he was fine, then he went to take a shower, and he came out. I think he was coughing up blood. He had some on the corner of his mouth, but he passed out as soon as he walked out the door," He mumbles the last part. Kurt lets out a loud sob, leaning over his knees and cupping his face with his hands.

  
"Kurt, I'm so sorry," Cooper says, suddenly feeling guilty. He should have told someone. He should have gotten help quicker. Kurt just shakes his head and leans into the older Anderson, sobbing into his leather jacket. The actor takes in a shaky breath, crying himself as he hugs his brother's boyfriend, allowing him to cry in his arms.

  
They stay like that for minutes, just holding each other and crying out of fear.

  
"I shoulder call my dad," Kurt hiccups, finally pulling away from his boyfriend's brother and wiping at his eyes. Cooper nods slowly, wiping at his eyes. He removes his leather jacket, suddenly feeling extremely hot. He couldn't tell if it was from crying or just from fear, but he knew his palms were sweaty.

  
Kurt grabs his phone from his pocket, his shaking fingers dialing a familiar number, before he's out of his seat and pacing up and down the room, where Blaine's bed used to be.

  
"Kurt? What's going on? I thought you were with Blaine?" Burt asks. At the mention of his name, Kurt has to calm himself down before can speak, catching on a sob. He takes a deep breath. "Kurt, what's wrong? Is it Blaine?"

  
"Yeah," Kurt nods, even though his father can't see him.

  
"What happened?"

  
"I guess he was vomiting and having stomach pains. He started coughing up blood, then he passed out. They had to take him in for emergency tumor removal," Kurt explains, his voice shaking and getting quiet at the end.

  
"Do you know what caused it yet?" Burt asks, the sound of jingling keys and Carole's worried voice coming through on the other end.

  
"No, I didn't really get an explanation," Kurt shakes his head, crossing an arm over his chest.

  
"We're on our way. Sit tight, and tell Cooper to stay strong too, okay?"

  
"Yeah, okay. Will do," Kurt sniffles, wiping at his eyes.

  
"Love you, Kurt,"

  
"You too, Dad," Kurt hangs up the phone, slipping it back into his pocket before he started to pace again, taking in deep breaths every so often, and checking his phone for any new messages.

  
Every time someone would pass by the door, his heart stopped and practically crawlded in his throat. Cooper remained in his seat, checking the time almost every thirty seconds, anxiously bouncing his knee.

  
The waiting was killing Kurt. They didn't know what was wrong, they didn't know the cause. They didn't understand what was happening or how they were doing. They just knew he was in surgery and it was an emergency. Blaine could be dying. He could be bleeding out. This could be the end.

  
They've come so far. They were so close, and now it might be for nothing. They're hope would have been pointless.

 

Within an hour, Burt is coming through the doorway, Carole and Finn trailing behind him.

  
"Any news?" Burt asks, pulling his son in for a tight hug, as Carole does the same for Cooper, kissing his cheek gently.

  
"No, it's been an hour and we haven't heard anything," Kurt replies, giving Carole a tight hug.

  
"He'll come out soon enough," Carole promises, rubbing his arm carefully. Kurt nods, trying to remain positive. He doesn't know what else to do.

  
"Let's hope so," Cooper says, running his hands over his jeans. Carole nods carefully, giving him a look full of sympathy.

  
"Sit, Honey. I'll get you both some water," Carole offers, rubbing Cooper's arm as well before she left the room. Cooper takes his seat back, running a nervous hand through his hair. Finn sits down next to him, and Burt sits in one of the waiting chairs, letting out a deep breath.

  
There was no way Kurt was going to sit, so he didn't even try. He just started to pace again, and for once, no one stopped him. They allowed him to pace until Carole got back, making him stop just so he could drink the small Dixie cup full of water, hoping to calm him down. It didn't work though, it just made his mouth wet.

  
At this point, the only thing that could calm him down would be seeing his boyfriend roll through the door, healthy and breathing. Alive and well. It was a nice gesture though.  
Carole sits herself beside her husband, gently rubbing his shoulder through his flannel. She was always good with comforting people. She did it like it was her job, and she did it well.

 

  
The hours tick by, everyone clearly on edge. Cooper was nervously checking his phone for the time every few seconds, then would roll his eyes when he notices that it's barely moved, Kurt was pacing up and down the room, biting his nails anxiously, Finn was tapping his foot, Burt would continually check his watch and run a hand over his head, and Carole kept looking towards the door,

  
It was five and a half hours before Damien was walking through the door, by himself, and looking exhausted.

  
"Damien, where is he? Is he okay? What happened. What-" Kurt says quickly, practically attacking the nurse, but Damien shakes his head, waving his hands.

  
"Kurt, he's fine. He's in recovery until the anesthesia wears off," Damien assures him, putting a hand on his arm. The boy covers his mouth, letting out a relieved sob, practically falling into Damien's arms. Damien hugs him tightly, holding him close.

  
"I was so scared," Kurt cries.

  
"I know, I know, but he's okay, Kurt. I promise," Damien comforts, rubbing his shoulder gently.

  
"What happened? Why did he pass out?" Cooper asks, also having jumped at the sight of the nurse.

  
"Well, he had some bleeding in his gastrointestinal tract. It was already weakened from the cancer and the chemo, and it's quite common in stage three gastric cancer," Damien explains, rubbing Kurt's back lightly before letting him go, allowing him to wipe at his eyes, trying to get rid of the moisture. "Dr. Thomas thinks it was from an ulcer and it was more than likely cause by an infection," He adds, rubbing Kurt's shoulder carefully, which he was more than thankful for. It was keeping him grounded.

  
"Is it something we did wrong? Is it from going out or-or-" Cooper starts, needing some type of answer.

  
"No, things like this happen sometimes, but he's okay and that's what matters," He assures the actor, earning a nod from him, causes his shoulders to deflate with relief.

  
"Is the tumor gone, then?" Kurt asks, sniffling back his tears.

  
"Yes, they removed his stomach and did the procedure as planned. He was bleeding internally when we cut him open, but other than that, he pulled through. A little bit more tissue was cut out as well that the tumor had gotten to, but he got through it," Damien assures them, making Kurt breath out an audible sigh, his shoulders deflating.

  
"How is he doing?" Burt asks, his hands stuck deep inside his pockets and his brow furrowed.

  
"He's doing well. He woke up briefly and he was out of it, tired and in quite a bit of pain, but he's okay. We'll keep him there until the anesthesia wears off, which shouldn't take more than a few hours or so. By tomorrow morning, he'll be back in his room at the latest."

  
"Can we go see him now?" Kurt asks, crossing his arms tightly over his chest.

  
"Yeah, of course you can," Damien nods, starting out the door. The group follows behind him, being led through the halls until they're in the operation wing.

  
"He's in the third curtain," Damien says, nodding towards the row of curtains, containing other patients recovering from anesthesia. Kurt nods and leads the small group of people, with Cooper at his side, towards the open third curtain.

  
As they come across him, the tension that Kurt's been holding in his shoulders for hours was finally released, and he let out a loud sob of relief. He looked okay, he looked alive, really.

  
His feeding tube was still place, as expected, but he had an oxygen mask over his face, helping him to breathe. His face was scrunched up with pain, even in sleep. His skin was pale as usual, but he didn't look as green, just pale. He was alive though. He was very alive. The rise and fall of his chest was proving that and it was setting Kurt's heart at ease.   
Kurt slowly makes his way through the small cubicle, sliding his hand through Blaine's weak one and squeezing carefully.

  
"Oh, Blainey," Cooper breathes, quickly taking his other hand. Burt smiles from the end of the bed, letting out a sight of relief and squeezing the boy's foot. Carole has a small smile on her face at this point, happy to see him okay, and wrapping an arm around Finn's waist.

  
Kurt stands at his boyfriend's bedside, rubbing his hand over his forehead gently. He leans down pressing a soft, lingering kiss over his forehead.

  
"I'm so proud of you, B," He whispers, a tear landing over his paled skin. The boy mumbles a little bit, his eyes starting to flutter open.

 

 


	28. Chapter Twenty-Eight: Recovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another one! Yay!! Four more chapters left and Blaine's entire future is in the next one! Enjoy this and tell me what you think in the comments and don't forget to leave a kudos if you haven't already!!

When Blaine started to open his eyes, there was only one thing on his mind.

_Pain_

Everything hurt, but his stomach felt like it was being stabbed and the knife was being held there, wiggling around every once in a while. The next thing he realized was that someone had their hand over his forehead, their nice, warm hand. The last thing was that where ever he was, it was really bright.

He lets out a soft, barely audible groan, sucking in a deep breath as he starts to open his eyes, but they start to shut again, because of the bright light.

There was something over his mouth. He goes to bring a hand up, but someone was holding it down. He turns his head to the side, seeing an olive toned skin holding tightly like he was going to break if they let go. He moves his head again, and sees someone else is holding onto his other one. This hand was pale and soft, not so calloused like the other one.

"Kurt?" He whispers, his voice muffled by whatever was over his face.

"Hey, baby," The boy whispers, followed by a sniffle.

"Why...crying?" Blaine croaks, swallowing thickly.

"I was just worried, but you're okay," Kurt replies, and even with squinted eyes, Blaine can see he's smiling a little. Blaine looks back over to the olive hand, matching a face with it.

"Coop," Blaine smiles gently, letting his head roll back.

"Hey, Squirt. How you feeling?" His brother asks, emotion thick in his voice.

"Hurts," He replies, his eyes starting to shut and his face scrunch up.

"I'll go tell a nurse," A third voice says from the end of his bed, but he doesn't both to look who it was.

"Someone's coming," Kurt says, running his thumb across his hand.

"What happened?" Blaine asks, just as Cooper let go of his hand, and instead resting a hand on his leg. Blaine reaches up, moving the mask from his face, but Kurt stops him.

"Honey, leave that on until the nurse gets here," He says, putting his free hand over his to get him to stop. Blaine grumbles, letting his hand fall flat beside him.

"You passed out. Do you remember going to take a shower?" Cooper asks, sniffling a little. Blaine nods slowly, his brows scrunched and his eyes falling shut.

"Blood," Blaine nods.

"Yeah, they took you in for your surgery earlier," His brother explains. "As far as they know, your tumor is gone, baby brother," Blaine smiles gently. His shoulders relaxing.

"We're all so proud of you, B," Kurt smiles, his hand returning to his forehead, to rub his thumb against his temple.

"Me too," Blaine says softly just as footsteps come closer to him and before he knows it, Damien is standing over him.

"How you feeling, Blaine?" He asks, a large grin on his face.

"Hurts," Blaine sighs, but quickly regrets it, his hand moving to his stomach, right where he felt the bump of a bandage and some type of tube. He goes to touch it some more to figure out what it was, but Damien put a hand over his.

"Drainage, Blaine. Leave it or you'll rip it out and that's not fun," He chuckles lightly. Blaine looks over drowsily, letting his arm fall to his side, to see Damien was putting something into the IV he didn't even knew he had until now.

"What's that?" he asks, scrunching his brows.

"Pain medication. It'll help. I promise," Damien smiles, patting his arm gently. "Blaine, you should get some sleep. Rest up. When the anesthesia totally wears off, we'll get you back to your room, okay?"

Again, Blaine nods carefully. Without a second thought, his eyes droop to a close.

Kurt watches with a small smile, leaning down to press a soft kiss to his forehead.

"You guys should go get some rest too," Damien says, looking across to the array of people waiting for the boy. "It's been a long night."

"It's just beginning," Kurt replies, still not tearing his eyes away from his boyfriend. Damien sighs heavily.

"None of you guys are leaving, are you?"

"Even though I'm the adult, and know we should, nope," Burt shakes his head, a small smile on his face, making Damien let out a small chuckle.

"Fair enough," He nods. "If he wakes up again, let me know. I'll go get you guys some chairs," The nurse then turns on his heels, leaving the family alone.

 

When he wakes up next, the he's in room doesn't feel so cold, like there are blankets stacked over him. He's able to open his eyes quicker and look around with a lot less confusion. No one is holding his hand this time, but someone's weight is against his leg. The boy looks down with confusion, realizing Kurt had rested his head against his mattress and his hand was resting on his thigh. He smiles gently, running his fingers through his auburn hair.

"Hey, Blaine," It's Burt's voice. He looks over seeing the mechanic sitting in the couch, his wife asleep, with her head in his lap and a blanket draped over her.

"Hey," He smiles, letting out a loud yawn as he does so.

"How are you?" He asks quietly, trying not to wake up anyone.

"It hurts," Blaine replies, moving a hand to touch over his incision. It wasn't as bad as it was when he first woke up, but it was still sore.

"That's normal. You will be for a few days," He replies, his small smile fading. Blaine nods slowly. "I'm proud of you, Blaine,"

"Thank you," Blaine says, a small grin forming on his lips. Burt nods his head slowly. He goes to say something more, but someone interrupted him.

"Dad?" Kurt mumbles, slowly lifting his head. He sits up, groaning from soreness. That didn't look like a comfortable position to sleep in.

"You should have went home and slept in your bed," Blaine says softly. Kurt turns his head towards his boyfriend.

"Hey," his smile grows quickly as he takes his hand in his own. "You're awake,"

"Yeah, I am," Blaine smiles. Kurt gets to his feet, leaning up to press a soft kiss to his lips. Kurt sits himself back down, a large smile on his face as he watches his boyfriend with a grin. "What are you staring at?" Blaine asks, his cheeks turning a light pink shade. Kurt shrugs.

"I'm just really happy you're here," He replies, making his boyfriend's face fall.

"I love you," He says seriously.

"I love you more," He chuckles, moving so his lips are pressed to the back of his hand. Blaine chuckles, finally looking up and around his room. Cooper was passed out in one of the chairs, his head tossed back, as was Finn, only in the chemo chair in the corner. Burt was sitting on the far end, with Carole's head in his lap, Carole's leg tucked tight under her and a blanket thrown across her legs. Everything else was the same, beside the fact that instead of being dressed in comfortable clothes, he was in a scratchy hospital gown.

"How do you feel? Different?" Kurt asks, still admiring his boyfriend and the way he was still breathing.

"I'm really sore," He replies, letting out a heavy breath, which he quickly regrets, putting a hand over his stomach and scrunching his face. Kurt's breath hitches in his throat.

"Careful," He warns, squeezing his hand tightly. Blaine nods numbly, letting out a more shallow breath, but still enough to make his shoulder relax.

"So, it's gone?"

"What? Your tumor or your stomach, because yes," Kurt smiles. A large smirk appears on Blaine's face. "There will be some follow up tests, but Dr. Thomas gives it a month before you can leave."

"Kurt," Blaine breathes, looking down at the boy and down at his incision. Kurt's eyes are full of tears.

"I know," He chuckles lightly, his voice thick with unshed tears as he gets up so he's sitting on the edge of the bed, instead, "I know," He repeats, leaning down to press another kiss to his lips. Blaine brings his hand up to cup his cheek, smiling into the kiss. "You did it."

"So far, I did it," He says, unable to help the smirk that grows over his features.

"I'm so proud of you,"

"I hear that a lot."

"You should. You have every reason to be proud," Kurt assures him, pecking his lips once more. Blaine nods slowly as Kurt pulls back, their hands still stitched together.

"Blaine? Are you awake?" It's Cooper, yawning from his chair, but once he see his baby brother nod, he's on his feet, pulling him in for a makeshift hug.

"Ow, Coop," Blaine says, despite his small laughter. "Jesus."

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," He pulls back instantly, smiling a little when he sees Blaine is laughing a little, despite his free hand holding his stomach from pain. Not just from Cooper, but from laughing too. That also hurt.

"I should go get Damien," Cooper announces, unable to wipe the smirk off his face. As he starts to back up out of the room, he can't help but watch his brother. The way he was smiling, despite the pain, Cooper was sure he was in. That was so Blaine.

"What's going on?" Finn asks, rubbing sleep from his eyes with the hell of his hand.

"Blaine's awake," Burt answers, looking over to his son. Finn nods slowly. Carole smacks her lips together before slowly opening her eyes, looking up at her husband.

"Morning," Burt greets, a look that Kurt always gives Blaine, written on his face, like she was the best thing in the world.

"Morning. What's all the commotion?" she asks, sitting up straight and attempting to fix her hair, even if it didn't look bad at all.

"Hey Mrs. Hummel," Blaine smiles, waving his hand.

"Oh! Hey, Honey," Her smile grows at the sight of him awake. "How are you?"

"Sore," Blaine replies for the millionth time, his smile fading.

"To be expected," Carole shrugs, to which Blaine nods. "We're happy to see you awake." Blaine goes to reply, but Damien is soon walking in the room, a large grin on his face.

"Hey, Blaine," He says softly, coming over to him. "How you feeling?"

"I'm alright, sore," He shrugs. Damien nods.

"That's normal," He shrugs, pulling back Blaine's covers. "I just want to check your incision really quick," he says, pushing the hospital gown back and peeling the bandage back. Blaine looks down, watching Damien closely, as he inspected his incision, touching it with light fingers. Blaine hisses at the contact, making Damien apologize.

"You look good. No infection. Things look normal," His nurse says proudly, putting the bandage back in place and covering him back up. "So, have you guys gone home yet?" He looks across the room, only getting a few guilty faces. "You should. You guys need proper rest and real food."

"I'm not leaving. No way," Kurt shakes his head, squeezing Blaine's hand.

"Baby, you should-"

"Stop talking," Kurt says, covering Blaine's mouth with his hand, making Blaine laugh slightly, careful not to hurt his incision.

"I knew there was no way to convince you, Kurt," Damien teases, putting a hand on his shoulder. "But, the rest of you need to go home for a few hours. Maybe grab something for Kurt, because I don't think he's moving his ass from that chair."

"Nope," Kurt says, holding his chin up. Burt agrees.

"I think that's a great idea. Cooper, why don't you come with us? Come back to the house, and we'll make something up for you to eat," Burt offers, lifting himself from the uncomfortable couch, stretching his arms.

"Are you sure? I can run back to my hotel and-"

"No, no, no," Carole shakes her head, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You're coming home with us. You can ride with us, Honey." Cooper smiles gently.

"Thank you," The actor says, to which Carole playfully rolls her eyes and shakes her head as if it was nothing. "Are you gonna be okay, Blainey?"

"Cooper, I'll be fine. You'll be back in a couple of hours anyway," Blaine chuckles lightly, just as his brother comes over, wrapping him in a tight hug, this time being a lot more careful.

"Okay, I'll see you soon, then." Blaine nods at his brother's words, Cooper quickly being replaced with Carole who hugged him and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. Burt's next, who pats his shoulder and squeezes it in a very dad way. Lastly is Finn, who just fist bumps him.

"We'll be back by dinner time, okay?"

"You don't have to-"

"Blaine, you're family and you just got out of surgery. We'll be annoying you for a couple of days," Burt replies with a soft smile. Blaine ducks his head, his cheeks turning a light pink. With that, the group leaves, leaving Kurt, Blaine, and Damien.

"How are you really feeling?" Damien asks, putting a hand on his shoulder gently.

"It hurts," Blaine replies, falling back against his pillows.

"Can you hold it for a couple more hours? I can't give you more pain meds for a while," Damien says, his brows furrowing with concern. Slowly, Blaine nods. "Okay, I'll be back in a couple of hours, check on your incision, change the bandage, and get you some more pain meds, okay? Dr. Thomas should be in this afternoon too, listen to your new stomach, and see if it's moving or doing anything, okay?"

"Sound good," the boy nods, squeezing Kurt's hand tightly.

"Alright. Proud of you, Blaine," He says with a wink before leaving the couple alone. Kurt looks over to his boyfriend, unable to help the smile forming on his lips.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" He asks, scrunching his brows together.

"You did it," Kurt says, pouting out his bottom lip, pride growing on his face. Blaine smiles as Kurt sits on the edge of his bed, leaning over to press a soft kiss to his lips. "How long have we been waiting for this?"

"Months," Blaine smiles, resting his hand on his boyfriend's hip, as Kurt cupper his cheeks.

"I love you, I love you, I love you," Kurt smiles, peppering his face with kisses, causing Blaine to chuckle a little, trying not to jostle himself too much. When Kurt pulls back, Blaine has a large smile on his face. "You should rest," He advises, running his thumb across Blaine's cheek.

"I just wanna lay here with you," He sighs heavily, his face falling. His boyfriend ducks his head, his forehead resting against his own.

"Are you sure you're okay? You feel alright? Nothing's wrong?" Kurt worries, chewing on his bottom lip.

"I'm just sore," He replies.

"Sore or are you in pain?" The countertenor asks, still cupping Blaine's face. Blaine sighs heavily, but shakes his head and instead pecks his lip to distract him.

"I'm just tired," He shakes it off. His boyfriend isn't really convinced. "Hopefully when I wake up, Damien can give me something. Stay here?"

"I wouldn't be anywhere else," His promises, pecking his lips one more time before climbing off the bed and taking his seat.

"You're the best boyfriend, I swear," Blaine sighs with content.

"I know,"

 

-0-

 

"Blaine, it's like two steps. You have to try. You just have to make it to the chair."

"Fuck off, Cooper. I am trying and it fucking hurts. You have your stomach removed then tell me how you feel."

Kurt stifles a laughter, as does Damien, despite Cooper's eye roll and huff and Blaine’s serious expression.

"Okay, okay. Let me try again," Blaine says, taking in a deep breath. One hand planted firmly over his lower stomach, right where his two day old incision was.

"Are you sure? We can try again at dinner. We-" Blaine cuts his nurse off, shaking his head. He was going to do this.

"No, I'm going to do this," Blaine replies, taking Kurt's hand in his own, while Damien got on his other side, ready to help him up.

"Of course you are," Damien says under his breath, knowing his patient was stubborn and when he would set his mind to something he would do it. Given, most patients that have had his surgery, are supposed to at least sit up, move around a little, get into a chair to heal, but Blaine looked like he was in pain, even with the pain killers. He didn't let it show too much though, only when he thought people weren't looking, because he would refuse to be looked at as weak. He was strong and he would prove it.

Cooper grabs his IV stand, and Blaine takes a deep breath, allowing his nurse and boyfriend to help him to a standing position. Almost instantly, Blaine leans into Kurt.

"We've got you," he promises, noting the way Blaine was shaking as he took a couple of steps forward, hissing in pain.

"Shit, shit, shit," Blaine cusses, squeezing Damien's hand tightly.

"A couple more steps," Damien encourages, not minding that Blaine was putting almost his entire weight on himself and squeezing his hand like it was about to pop off. Slowly, but surely, they make it to the comfy chair in the corner, that Blaine has used a ton of times for chemo, because it was comfortable and cozy. Kurt and Damien lower him slowly into the chair, groaning in pain as he did so.

Blaine shifts a little getting comfortable, before smiling wide, despite his exhausted expression and shaking hands.

"I told you that I would do it," Blaine chuckles lightly, a hand still over his incision. Damien smiles, grabbing one of Blaine's pillows from his bed and tucking it under his arm, so it's tucked under his side and threw a blanket over him, the blanket Kurt got him for Valentine's Day.

"So did I," Cooper replies, rolling his IV stand, that was putting nutrients straight into his veins for the next couple of days, and putting it right beside the comfy chair. Blaine smiles gently, shifting a little to get more comfortable.

Sitting is supposed to be important after abdominal surgery, according Dr. Thomas, because it helps keep blood clots from forming in his legs, because it's supposed to get the blood flowing and moving. As much as Blaine hated moving around, because really, the pain was hard to get around still, he wanted to get out of the hospital as soon as possible and he would do anything to make that happen.

He's not supposed to start walking for another couple of days or so, because of the fear that he would tear his stitches before they dissolved, but he was fine with that. He wasn't looking forward to walking anyway. At all. He was looking forward to getting back to normal, but he just wants to be normal, not have to go through all the hard shit. He thinks he's been through enough hard shit in the last ten, almost eleven months.

Just when Blaine started to get comfortable where he was sitting, well as comfortable as he could get, Dr. Thomas came strolling in casually, laying his clipboard down at the end of the bed.

"Morning, Blaine. How you feeling?" He asks, going over to the sink to wash his hands up, which usually meant Blaine was about to pushed around a little bit, examined.

"Sore still," Blaine says, Kurt sitting down beside him on the couch and Cooper beside him, leaning back with his hands folded behind his head.

"On a scale of one to ten? Ten being the worst and one being a scrape?"

"Seven and a half," Blaine replies, making Dr. Thomas smile.

"That's good, it's getting lower, which is what we want. Within a couple of days, we should be able to take you off all that medication," The dark haired doctor says, scooting up in his backless stool, just like he always did. Damien peeled Blaine's blanket back and moved the pillow a little bit, seeing the doctor pull out his stethoscope from around his neck and put it into his ears.

"Just going to listen to your intestines again, see if I can hear it moving again," He announces, putting the cold end of it right to skin, under the hospital gown. He still didn't feel up for changing. It just seemed like too much work still, so he dealt with the gown, even if it was scratchy and uncomfortable. It was better than having to put a hoodie or a t-shirt on instead. The room is silent as Blaine takes a few breaths and his doctor listened to his progress. He moves the end around a little bit, listening some more, before pulling it out from his ears and wrapping it around his neck again.

"It's not moving totally yet, so it will probably be a few more days until we can give you real food, but it's getting there. I heard a few movements, which is good. Really good. Once it starts moving and we know you can digest things, we'll put you a strict diet and take out that IV and your feeding tube, because the acids should be able to get of themselves by then. Damien, can you get me a pair of gloves?" He asks his nurse, to which he nods, and off one of the walls, grabs a pair of sky blue latex gloves to put on. The older doctor slips them on and peels back his bandage, making Blaine's face scrunch up, looking down at what he was doing. His doctor looks at the stitches that were starting to dissolve, just like they were supposed to. He nods his head, poking at it a little with his fingers, happy with the result, whatever that was. Damien grabbed him a new bandage from one of the cupboards in the far left corner, right beside the sink, and handed it to him.

He exchanges the bandage for a new one and pulls the gown back down, along with his blanket.

"Everything looks good, Blaine. Really good," He smiles, snapping off his gloves and tossing them into the trash can. Kurt smiles, as do Blaine and Cooper, happy to know he was making a full recovery. "In a couple of weeks, we'll check on it, making sure it's healing right inside, and to make sure that there are no more tumor pieces left around it."

"What if there is?" Cooper asks, his face starting to fall. That hadn't even been something to cross his mind.

"Then we'll set him up for another round of chemo, making sure that we kill those cells. It'll push your recovery and discharge back a few weeks, a month or so, but as long as the pieces didn't get to your lungs or any other vital organ, you'll be fine," He assures him, patting his knee reassuringly when he saw the panicked look on his patient's face.

"Wait what?" Blaine scrunches his brows together. "I thought I was done. I thought this meant that it was over. That the tumor was gone."

"Yes, but cancer can sometimes take a little longer to see, so your stomach tumor could have spread and made its way to other organs, or we could have missed some pieces during surgery," He says. "But, it's unlikely. You'll be okay, Blaine. I'm good at what I do. It's okay to trust me."

His patient nods his head slowly, taking in a deep breath. He didn't need to get worked up now.

"Alright, so tomorrow, I want you to start walking. Take a wheelchair with you and the three of you guys should be able to help you make a lap or so. Sit when you need to, and don't push yourself too hard, okay? You are still recovering, but that will be the best for preventing blood clots, alright?"

"Yeah," Blaine nods slowly, squeezing Kurt's hand tightly. He thought he was in the clear, that things were going to be fine, but if they weren't, his trip with Kurt wouldn't happen, he wouldn't make it to school before Thanksgiving break. He would miss months of his senior year, along with the entirety of his junior year that he already missed.

"You'll be fine, Blaine," His doctor assures him, before getting to his feet. He grabs his clipboard making a few notes. "You're doing great. Keep it up," he adds, before leaving the group alone.

"That was disappointing," Blaine says bluntly, sighing heavily with an eye roll.

"Don't think about it, Blaine. If you think about, it will slow your recovery. Worry about this. Worry about getting better from this first, okay?" Damien says, rubbing his shoulder. Blaine nods numbly, but they all knew that that wasn't going to happen. Blaine worried. A lot.

"Damien's right. Just take a chill pill. Think about right now," Cooper says, noticing the way Blaine wasn't really there, just biting his lip, thinking about what would happen if it did spread and they didn't catch it. If it spread and left him dead.

"You made it this far. You're going to be fine," Kurt says, even though his voice wavered a bit. He also didn't even think about that possibility, because he didn't know it existed, but it scared him. He didn't know who he was trying to convince, Blaine or himself.

"Yeah," Blaine says quietly, nodding his head slowly, trying to believe his boyfriend's words.

 

-0-

 

Walking. It was something Blaine now feels like he's been taking for granted, because right now, he hated it. He was kind of bad at it even. Cooper was following closely behind his brother, who was leaning against his boyfriend, taking small steps. He hurt. Don't get him wrong, but it was nowhere near as bad it was two days ago when he actually put his feet to the ground for the first time. He was limping too, practically putting his entire weight on Kurt, but it was working, so he wasn't going to complain too much.

"Another lap?" Cooper asks.

"No!" Blaine rolls his eyes, sending daggers towards his brother. "Are you insane?"

"Alright, alright," The actor playfully rolls his eyes as they approach his doorway, watching his brother hiss as he took another step. "You need to fall back solider?"

"No, I can get to my room," Blaine protests.

"Are you sure? You aren't supposed to push yourself too hard," Kurt worries, walking slowly with him.

"It's like twelve feet, Kurt. I'll be fine," Blaine replies, using the hand rail on the wall to help him walk. When he takes his next step, he almost falls back at the sound of someone calling his name, loudly.

"Blaine Anderson!" He hears Nick call from the end of the hallway, making Blaine pick up his head, smiling when he sees Nick, Jeff, David, Wes, Trent, and even Thad approaching them. For once, none of them were wearing uniforms because it was technically summer now and they were out until September.

"Hey," The former Warbler smiles, his hands shaking more the longer he stood there.

"Wow, you look like a baby deer taking their first steps," Nick teases, sticking his hands inside his jeans pockets.

"Alright, as much as I want to you see you guys, Blaine, you're going to fall over. If you want to walk to bed, keep moving. You're shaking like a leaf," Kurt rolls his eyes.

"Sorry," Blaine says, his face falling as he takes a few more steps into his doorway, still using the hand rail, and Cooper trailing behind him with a wheelchair and the Warblers behind him. Blaine hisses at the last few steps, as he turns around, lowering himself onto his bed.

"Told you," Blaine grumbles, looking up at his brother, who just rolls his eyes, parking his chair in the corner of the room. "Help me?" He looks up at his boyfriend sheepishly.

"Yeah," Kurt nods, helping him scoot all the way back onto the bed and then allowing Blaine to lift his legs on his own, despite the pain surging through his abdomen. Kurt grabs the blankets from the bottom and flips them over, so Blaine can get comfortable and so do the Warblers, situating themselves throughout the room.

"Here, we got you some nice fake, flowers and Nick wanted to get you a bear," Trent chuckles. That's when Blaine realized he was carrying a bouquet of dahlias and a few others he didn't recognize.

"They're so pretty," Blaine says, admiring the flowers, that didn't even need to be put in water, because they were fake.

"We put in alstroemerias, because they supposedly mean strength, craspedia, because they mean good health, dahlias, because they mean change, and finally apple blossoms, because they mean hope," He explains with a smile.

"Trent thought this out way too much. I said we should just get roses, but apparently that means true love, so we figured we'd leave that one to Kurt," Nick teases, making Trent roll his eyes, Blaine to laugh, and for Kurt to flush slightly.

"You're the one that wanted to get him a stuffed animal," Jeff retorts, making Nick shrug defensively.

"There's nothing a teddy bear with a cast can't fix," he defends, shaking his head. Blaine chuckles, looking over at the bear on his nightstand, and sure enough, a teddy bear with a cast and even a head bandage was sitting next to the flowers, with the words 'Get Well Soon' written across his arm.

"I love it. Thank you, guys," Blaine looks across the room to everyone. "Really, it means a lot you guys came to see me."

"We couldn't leave you in peace for that long," Thad replies, crossing his arms over his chest. Blaine chuckles.

"So, how'd surgery go?" Wes asks, sitting on the couch, with David's arm draped around his shoulders, to make room on the couch of course.

"Not how we expected, but it went well in the end," Blaine replies, letting out a heavy sigh and ignoring the way his incision was hurting so horribly.

"What do you mean?" Jeff scrunches his brows together.

"I had some bleeding in my gastrointestinal tract, I ended up passing out and coughing up some blood, but after I went into the operation room, I was fine. They took my stomach out without a problem besides some bleeding," He explains, letting his hand wander to his stomach, trying to stop the pain.

"I told you not to overwork yourself," Kurt grumbles, raising one eyebrow higher than the other and crossing his arms over his chest. He knew Blaine better than he knew himself sometimes.

"I'm fine," Blaine replies. "Stop worrying so much. You'll get frown lines," He teases, making Kurt roll his eyes.

"So the tumor is gone?" Trent asks hopefully, still smiling from the couple's conversation.

"As far as we know," He shrugs, his face starting to fall at the reminder that it could come back.

"Don't worry so much, you'll get frown lines," Kurt mocks. Blaine sticks his tongue out before explaining a little.

"They're checking on it later this week, to see if anything spread or went to any other organs, but-"

"But, he'll be fine," Cooper says, from his spot leaning against the counter, his arms crossed over his chest, just like Kurt. "He just worries way too much."

"I worry the perfect amount, Cooper," Blaine replies, shaking his head.

"You worry more than a grandma."

"I do not!" Blaine pouts, unable to help the small smile on his face.

"Whatever you say, little brother," He shrugs.

"So, if we don't get a call from you next week telling us you're in remission, we can beat your ass, right?" Nick teases, making Blaine smile lightly.

"You guys will be the first people I call," He replies with a smile.

"We better be," Wes chuckles, moving a little closer to David, to make room for Nick, who decided he wanted to sit next to Jeff, so he can also wrap an arm around him as well.

"Sebastian wanted to come today too, but he just left for a family trip today. He wanted us to wish you well," David says, a small smirk on his face.

"Good," Kurt grumbles under his breath, but the entire room heard it, which just caused them to smile. Blaine looks at him, cocking his head to the side. "I don't care if you made up or not, I don't like him," He defends himself.

"We know. That's why we may have waited until after he left to come and visit you. Otherwise, we would have been here earlier," Jeff chuckles lightly.

"Yeah, as much as we enjoy watching you two bicker like and old couple, we know Blaine doesn't," Nick adds.

"Well, thank you," Kurt says.

"Who's Sebastian again?" Cooper asks, looking across the room of guys.

"He's the one who threw the rock salt slushie in Blaine's eye and almost blinded him," Kurt grumbles.

"But, I'm fine," Blaine reminds his boyfriend.

"Obviously," Nick says, making his friend roll his eyes.

"Anyway!" Wes says trying to get everyone off from the Sebastian subject. "When can you get out of here?"

"Hopefully next month," Blaine answers, a small smile growing on his face as he says the words. He was dying to get out of here. As much as he liked having the support from his nurses and friends in support group, he also wanted to get home. Home being the Hummel household now. It was a goal and he was determined to make it.

"So, what's the plan after all this?" David asks.

"Well, I'm moving in with Kurt," Blaine says, smiling towards his boyfriend.

"Finally. You guys are practically married anyway," Nick grumbles, trying to sound grossed out, but just like everyone else, you can't hate them. They're just too good together.

"So, I'm guessing we won't get our lead soloist back next year, then?" Thad pouts, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm sorry, but-"

"We know. Your heart is at McKinley. We've heard it before," Thad teases. Blaine's cheeks start to flush as he looks up at his boyfriend, whose cheeks were just as dark, maybe even darker. "You say that every time we ask, and even times when we don't ask," Thad adds, making Blaine roll his eyes.

"It's not that much."

"Yes it is," Nick chuckles. Blaine smiles, hanging his head down. It felt good.

It felt good to the have the Warblers around again. It's been a long time since he's seen them, and it was nice to know they were behind him, still rooting for him no matter what. The last few days have been filled with pain, naps, and a lot of being uncomfortable, so it was nice to spend the rest of the day just talking and goofing off like they always used to in the common room at Dalton.

 

-0-

 

 

As usual, Dr. Thomas came in that morning, giving him an exam and checking on his stomach, seeing if it was moving at all, and he said it was. He got the okay to start eating and to get his tube removed from his nose.

That was the best part. He's had that since almost the beginning and it was annoying, uncomfortable, and just there. He hated it. It got in the way when kissing, sleeping, and hugging.

"Just hold still, alright?" Dr. Thomas says, standing over Blaine's bed that was laying down totally flat so he could remove the feeding tube. His patient doesn't say anything and instead just lays still. "I need you to take a deep breath and hold it."

Blaine doesn't nod, but does as he's told, filling his lungs with air and holding it there. Dr. Thomas then folds the tube over, clamping off air, and starts to pull out. Blaine scrunches his brow, because it was just as uncomfortable as it was putting it in, and waits for it to be over.

"And you're done," He announces, putting the tube in the plastic bag sitting on Blaine's chest. His doctor locks the bag and lifts Blaine's bed back up so he's sitting up.

"It feels weird without it," Blaine chuckles lightly, making Dr. Thomas smile.

"Yeah, you're used to it, but this will feel better. If you start dropping weight again, or can't get enough nutrients, we'll have to put it back in, so just follow the diet, and you should be okay," He advises, putting a hand on his leg. Blaine nods.

"Will do," He nods. Kurt smiles from the end of his bed, his arms crossed over his chest, and a wave of pride covering his features.

"Okay, Molly should be in with your first meal soon, okay? Eat as much as you can, but eat the things with the most protein first, okay? You won't be able to eat a lot, and don't drink anything until an hour after your meal. Your new stomach is tiny, very small, and getting filled up on water will replace the room for nutrients," He orders.

"Got it," His patient nods, his face falling a little. This was all a little scary. He didn't want to mess this up. He didn't want to spend more time in the hospital or have the feeding tube put back in. He just wanted to be a normal eighteen year old again.

"Alright, I'll leave you then," His doctor says, patting his leg before, as promised, leaving them alone. Kurt smiles, sitting down at the edge of his bed.

"I haven't had an appetite for months, but I'm finally excited to eat something," Blaine chuckles, taking one of Kurt's hands in his own, squeezing gently. Kurt laughs lightly. "I like to think it’s going to taste like magic," He teases.

"You're ridiculous," Kurt shakes his head, to which Blaine nods.

"But you love me," He replies, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to his lips. When he goes to deepen the kiss, someone is knocking on his door frame. Kurt clears his throat out, scooting back.

That was another thing Blaine was excited for. Getting to kiss Kurt for however long he wanted. Go on actual dates again. Do all the things a normal couple could do, and what they used to do before all of this started.

"Hey, boys," Molly greets, rolling in a cart, but this time not for chemo. This time, there was tray on it. A few of them actually. She must be making rounds.

"Hey, Molly," Blaine smiles, as she comes in closer. Molly moves the moveable table over, so Blaine can eat, and puts one of the trays over it. She uncovers it, revealing a small bowl of broth, some milk, and a banana. It wasn't a lot, but it looked, for the first time in a long time, appetizing.

"Drink the milk after you finish, okay?" She says. Blaine nods, grabbing the spoon. "Enjoy, Honey," She pats her patient's leg before making her way out of the room. Kurt sits himself back down in front of his boyfriend, watching as he took his first bite.

"That's actually really good," Blaine chuckles, making Kurt smile. "Are you taking pictures?" Blaine pouts, realizing that Kurt had his phone out and was trying to discreetly take a couple of pictures, but he was really bad at trying to be sneaky.

"Yes, I told you. I take pictures of everything," He shrugs, stuffing his phone in his pocket. "Plus, this is a big deal. It's another bit step in your recovery," He adds. Blaine smiles a little. He loved hearing that that he was recovering. It always just made him excited for what was next.

"Just don't post them anywhere, and I'll be fine," He replies, taking another spoonful of broth. He was told to eat slowly and he was going to do just that. He didn't want to do anything that could hurt his chances of getting out of here.

"I really am proud of you, Blaine. You've come so goddamn far and I'm so happy that you have. I know that all of this has been hard I watched my mom do it too, but I'm so happy you've made it this far," Kurt says, rubbing his leg carefully. Blaine stops eating, swallowing his last bite.

"Me too," Blaine says simply, reaching over to take his hand. "I honestly didn't think I'd make it this far," He shakes his head, running his thumb across the back of his hand.

"I'm really happy you have. I'm excited to get our lives back. Get us back. Go to New York, start out senior year. Apply to colleges. I'm so excited and ready for that," Kurt says, taking in a deep breath.

"Me too," Blaine nods, not having any other words. Kurt takes his hand, bringing it to his lips and pressing soft kisses to the back of his pale skin that was finally starting to get color back. "I love you."

"I love you more," He shrugs, a grin growing on his face. "Now, eat your food before I start crying," he adds, wiping at his eyes, getting rid of the tears that were starting to well up in his eyes, but they were happy tears this time.

"Blaine!" At the sound of a small, toddler voice, followed by footsteps coming from his doorway, made both halves of the couple look up. Blaine's face turns into a large grin at the sight of the small toddler, Thomas running into the room, with his parents behind him.

"Hey, Buddy," Blaine greets, going to lift him into his lap, but Kurt stopped him, picking him up for himself and sitting him in Blaine's lap carefully. The toddler smiles, wrapping his arms around Blaine's neck.

"I missed you, Blainey," He says.

"I missed you too. It's been a while," Blaine replies, rubbing his small back carefully.

"Daddy said you were hurt," The little boy says, looking up at the former Warbler.

"Yeah, I had a surgery, but I'm healing, see?" Blaine lifts the edge of his hospital gown, so he can see the bandage. The little boy gasps, staring at it for a few seconds before leaning down and kissing the bandage. The entire room 'Awes', and Blaine holds him close to his chest.

"You're so sweet," Blaine chuckles, petting down his black hair and kissing the top of it. Thomas giggles, hiding his face into Blaine's chest. Blaine looks up at the doorway, seeing Marcus and Damien standing there.

It was weird to see Damien not in hospital scrubs. Instead, he was wearing a pair of faded jeans, a long sleeve V-neck shirt with the sleeves push up to his elbows, and a pair of sneakers. Of course, his hair was still pulled back into the tight man-bun and his light facial hair was still the same. He looked really good and stylish.

Marcus also looked a lot more casual than normal. He had a pair of faded jeans and sneakers too, but instead of a long sleeve, he just wearing a black hoodie, with some movie on the front that Blaine didn't recognize. His head was still pushed back into a coif and his black glasses were still on.

Damien just stood with his hands shoved deep inside his jeans pockets, but Marcus had his phone out, snapping a few pictures the two boys cuddled up to each other.

"Did you guys miss me? It's only been two days since I've last seen you guys," Blaine teases, as Thomas started to pick at Blaine's hospital gown.

"Hey, we didn't miss you, Thomas did. He was bothering us to come see you ever since you had your surgery. He was bouncing in his car seat this morning on the way here," Marcus chuckles, shoving his phone into his pocket and crossing his arms over his chest, an amused smirk on his face.

"Well, I missed you guys too," Blaine shrugs, making the couple laugh lightly.

"I see your eating again," Damien says, a large grin on his face. Blaine nods slowly.

"Yeah, it tastes like magic," Blaine smirks, winking to his boyfriend, who just rolls his eyes playfully.

"Magic?" Thomas looks up at the boy.

"I promise what I can't eat, you can have, alright?" Blaine offers. The toddler nods enthusiastically, his eyes wide. Blaine chuckles, pressing another kiss to his head, before grabbing his spoon once more, eating a bit more broth.

"I feel like there's something we're missing here," Damien adds, his brows scrunched.

"Blaine was convinced his food would taste like magic because he actually had an appetite this morning," Kurt replies, one hand resting on Blaine's leg, rubbing casually through the sheet.

"That's great, Blaine!" Damien exclaims, real and true happiness written on his face and in his proud smile. Blaine smiles, his cheeks flushing slightly. "Just make sure you-"

"Baby, you're becoming a nurse again. You're off duty, calm down solider," Marcus teases, wrapping an arm around his waist and setting a hand on his chest. Damien deflates slightly, playfully rolling his eyes.

"Sorry, I can't help myself," He shakes his head, another arm wrapping around his waist.

"I also made it two laps yesterday, without the chair," Blaine says proudly, taking another spoonful of his broth.

"At this point, you'll be out of here in no time," Marcus shrugs. "How are you holding up with all this going on?"

"Overwhelmed, but I'm handling it. I get the test in a few days on my tumor. We'll see how it goes," He shrugs casually.

"Can you come home with us?" Thomas asks, looking up at the singer, his face flat with curiosity. Blaine chuckles lightly.

"I can't go home with you, but I promise I'll come see you when I leave, alright?"

"Promise? I wanna show you my bedroom," He pouts.

"I promise," Blaine nods, holding out his pinky. The small boy's face lights up at his words and he locks pinkies with him.

"You better hold that promise," Marcus says, a smirk on his face.

"I plan on it," Blaine replies, sucking in a breath before moving onto his banana and starting to peel it.

"He can't get away from us that easily anyway," Damien shrugs, making Blaine and Kurt laugh lightly.

Truthfully, he was relieved to hear him say that. Damien and Marcus weren't just his nurse and therapist, no they were like the parents he's needed for the longest. It was amazing to have someone just outside his door to talk to and help him through things. He's never had that. Not even with Kurt, because he was never just outside his door. He was almost an hour and a half away. Having Damien and Marcus there has been the best part of going through this. Knowing that when he gets healthy, they won't just leave him, made his shoulders relax and a weight was taken off his chest.

"When are you gonna get better?" Thomas asks, picking at Blaine's hospital gown, his brows furrowed, and his lips pouting.

"Soon," Blaine replies taking off a piece of the banana and holding it out to him. Of course, the boy gasps, taking it into his grabby fingers and munching on it.

Kurt loved it. He loved the way Blaine was with kids. They just kind of gravitated towards him. Maybe it was his charm and maybe it was just because he looked so goddamn friendly, he didn't know, but he did know that it made him love him even more than before.

It's not that Kurt didn't like children, because he did, but they did make him incredibly nervous. He was too scared to actually get on the floor and play with them, when Blaine loved to do it. Even sick with cancer, he would get on the floor with Thomas and play like he didn't just have an intense day of chemo or radiation. It's just another reason that Kurt admired him. Kurt did want kids, kids of his own, he would have to get over the whole nervous thing, but he also knew they would have Blaine as their second dad, so they would be perfect either way.

Seeing Blaine hold and take care of Thomas just made his heart grow. Not only today, but at the funeral, at Christmas, Easter, and all the other times they've seen the tiny little boy. Another reason Kurt couldn't wait until all of this was over and they were in New York. Not for their trip, but permanently, so they could start their lives together. The lives they've fantasized about ever since they were little boys. Even if they didn't know who it would be with back then. Now, they knew.

 

-0-

Kurt was pacing. Up and down the room. Back and forth. Blaine knows it's because he's nervous, but it was making Blaine even more nervous.

"Kurt, can you please sit down. You're really freaking me out," He admits, swallowing thickly. He looks down at his hands folded across his lap. He was sitting in the chemo chair in the corner and today was the day.

"I'm sorry, Baby," Kurt apologizes, moving so he's sitting on the couch. Blaine shakes his head, shaking it off.

"It's fine," He says quietly.

"Hey, don't be scared. Everything will be fine," Kurt promises, reaching for his boyfriend's hand. Blaine happily takes it in his own and squeezes. Things were not fine. They all knew that, but it was a nice gesture.

"You don't know that," Blaine says quickly, looking down at their hands laced together, Kurt's thumb rubbing gently over the back of his skin. Kurt looks down guiltily.

"I know," He whispers, looking down as well. They don't say anything after that. They just hold hands and think. It's not for long though, soon Damien and Dr. Thomas are strolling through the room, Dr. Thomas has a smile on his face though. It had to be good news, right? There was no way it wasn't.

Then again, he's probably delivered bad news over and over and over again. It was probably just a normal Tuesday for him, but for Blaine, it was his life in his hands. The clipboard that was stuffed under his arm, told him his future.

"Blaine, how are you?" He asks, pulling up his stool like always and Damien does the same.

"Nervous. Can we just cut to the chase and tell me?" He asks. Kurt looks to him nervously, but doesn't say anything about his insistence.

"Of course," his doctor nods, pulling out the clipboard from under his arm and looking it over. Did he not remember the results? Could he not remember one lousy patient's results that could end their lives?

"We did everything we could," he starts. Blaine's eyes go wide with fear and Kurt's hand still over his own.

"What do you mean?" Blaine manages, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"We did the surgery, the chemo, and the radiation, but it didn't seem to work, Blaine," Dr. Thomas says, his voice trailing over at his name. He swears, he stopped breathing. He swears the room stopped, that everyone was frozen in place. When he looked up, he realized they did. No one was moving. Not even a muscle. It was like the movie was put on pause.

"What?" Blaine whispers to himself, looking across. Kurt's hand was no longer rubbing his own and he was just looking straight forward, the only thing moving being the tear rolling down his cheek. Dr. Thomas was frozen mid-sentence, and Damien was stopped when he reached out for the boy, in an uncomfortable position with his arm reaching out. Blaine tears his hand away from his boyfriend's and surprisingly, it comes out quickly. His grasp wasn't very tight. Blaine pushes himself up, tearing his IV out from his arm. He didn't feel that. He was still dressed in a hospital gown though. He didn't mind as he walked slowly out from his room, still very confused.

The hospital hallways are empty. The usual furniture was even gone.

"What the hell is going on?" He asks himself. He starts walking down the hallway, surveying the different rooms, but he didn't find anyone or anything. So, he keeps walking and walking until he reaches the entrance. What he sees makes him stop. It was him in a wheelchair, looking horrible.

He was bone thin, an oxygen tube in his nose, and he was bald. His skin was almost transparent it was so white. Kurt was kneeling in front of him, holding his hands tightly in his own and was saying something. Blaine gets closer so he can hear his boyfriend.

"I'm sorry. I know I promised, but I can't do this anymore, Blaine. I can't just sit here and wait for you to die anymore," The scoffs. His sick self just sits there, clearly shocked.

"What?" Blaine repeats again, still not understanding anything, even as Kurt gets back to his feet, pressing a kiss to the top of his sick head and starts for the entrance. "Say something! Do something!" Blaine screams at himself, but of course, the sick version of himself doesn't say anything back.

"Kurt!" Blaine yells, going after him himself. "Please!" He cries, he goes to push the front door open, but as soon as it's open and his foot hits pavement, he's shooting up in the familiar darkness of his hospital room.

Blaine groans in a slight pain, pulling his hospital gown back to check for damage. Luckily, he didn't find any. He tosses his gown back over, untangling his legs from the sheet and instead just tossing them back. The large beads of sweat rolling down his temple were enough to keep him warm. He puts both of his shaking hands over his forehead.

"It was just a dream. It was just a dream," He repeats to himself, refusing to believe anything else. "You're okay. Kurt is still with you. You're going to be fine. The tumor is gone."

Of course, he didn't know if the last part was true, but he really wanted it to be, so he didn't correct himself. The boy rolls over onto his side carefully, looking at the clock sat there. 3:56 AM. He shouldn't call anyone. He should just go back to sleep. The former Warbler shakes his head and turns back over on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He starts counting the dots on the ceiling tiles.

1....2.....3....4....5....6....7....8....9....10...11....

"This is stupid," He mumbles to himself, shaking his head. He runs his hands over his face, instead just trying to close his eyes.

He tries. He really does, but his mind is racing. Its racing so fast he can barely keep up, so he reaches over for his phone anyway, dialing a familiar number. He answers on the fourth ring.

"What?" His brother answers in his usual crappy, annoyed tone.

"Hey, it's Blaine," Blaine says softly, suddenly feeling stupid for calling his brother. It was just a dream.

"Hey, what's up, Squirt? Something wrong?" Cooper asks, still wiping sleep from his voice with a yawn.

"It sounds stupid, but I had another nightmare, I guess," He shrugs, picking at his sheet with nerves. He waited for his brother to start laughing, but he didn't. He didn't laugh at all.

"It's about Tuesday, isn't it?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Blaine says softly.

"I know it doesn't seem like it, but I know you. You're still my little brother," He replies, bringing a large smile to Blaine's face.

"So, did Kurt now answer?"

"What?"

"I know you didn't call me first. Did Kurt not answer your call?"

"Believe it or not, I called you first. I called you before I even knew who I was dialing," Blaine scoffs. Cooper doesn't say anything. "Coop?"

"Sorry," He hears a sniffle and he knows Cooper is either crying or close to it. "You know you're going to be okay, right?"

"My dream says different."

"Your dream is bullshit," Cooper replies. Blaine smiles gently.

"You don't know that," Blaine replies.

"Yes, I do. I do know, because you have never given up on anything in your entire life. No matter what it's been."

"I left Westerville High," Blaine reminds his brother, to which Cooper scoffs.

"Only because you've had to. You weren't safe. Other than that, you never gave up. You've been through a lot, Squirt and I mean a lot. You're only eighteen and you've gone through more than most thirty year olds have."

"Tell that to my cancer," Blaine sighs heavily.

"Blaine, please, just stay positive. I know I can tell you this over and over and over again, but Squirt, you have to believe it for yourself," He starts. When Blaine doesn't say anything, he continues. "Everyone has been telling you this stuff. Everyone has been telling you that you're going to be okay, but the words can only be said so many times, alright?"

"Yeah," Blaine says softly, nodding his head, even if Cooper can't see it.

"If you start thinking negatively, negative things are going to happen. Keep a light heart. Don't worry about that, worry about recovering from this surgery," He advises.

"When did you become such a big brother?" Blaine chuckles lightly, making Cooper do the same thing.

"I've had a lot of time alone to practice," He says casually. Blaine sighs heavily.

"I'm really happy you're home, Coop."

"Me too, Blainey Days," Blaine can tell how much he means it. He can hear the emotion in his voice. "Go back to sleep. You need sleep to recover."

"Okay. Thanks, Cooper."

"Thanks for calling me, Blaine. It means a lot. More than you know," Cooper clears his throat out and Blaine can't help but smile.

"Don't go crying on me," he jokes, making Cooper laugh lightly.

"Shut up and go to bed, you weirdo," Cooper replies. With that he hangs up, leaving Blaine to chuckle to himself. The boy shakes his head, putting his on the nightstand and grabbing his blankets from the end of the bed. He brings them, cuddling to them like he had before he had his nightmare. This time when he closes his eyes, he has a smile on his face, and he's able to fall back asleep with no problem and almost no anxiety for the time being.


	29. Chapter Twenty-Nine: The 'R' Word

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3 more left and I'm so heartbroken because of it......Well, here is another, thank you so much for reading and enjoy! Don't forget to leave me a comment, honestly, they give me life. They make my day! Thank you!!

"Hey, Blaine?" Damien knocks carefully on his door frame, sticking his head into the room. Blaine looks up from his spot between Kurt's legs, where they were reading Vogue together, and up at his nurse.

  
"Yeah?"

  
"There's a few people here for you. They couldn't find your room," Damien says, looking for anything in his eyes that said he didn't want them there, but all he found was confusion.

  
"What? The Warblers?"

  
"No, no uniforms, but a few McKinley High t-shirts," His nurse says, leaning against the doorway. Blaine nods slowly, turning to Kurt who just shrugged.

  
"This was not my idea," he says, putting his hands up in surrender. Blaine's shoulders relax.

  
"Yeah, they can come in," Blaine nods, tossing the magazine onto the couch cushion and sitting up with a slight hiss, so Kurt can move so he's sitting beside him instead of behind him.

  
"Alright," Damien sighs heavily, moving out of the doorway, soon being replaced by Sam Evans and Noah Puckerman, followed by the rest of the glee club.

  
"Hey," Sam greets, his hands stuffed into his jeans pockets.

  
"Hey," Blaine smiles carefully. "What's going on?"

  
This was weird. Blaine felt weird about seeing them. The only people that talked to him from the New Directions were Sam, Finn, and a little bit of Rachel because she was with Finn. He's only ever seen them at prom, the play, and over video chat during Nationals.

  
"You're the one that had surgery, what about you?" Sam replies, pulling up a chair. This wasn't the first time Sam's visited. He's come quite a few times over the past few months. Along with Finn and Rachel. Puckerman has seen him a little bit too, especially after the whole James ordeal, but it's only been a few texts here and there and a couple of visits that he appreciates. Puck has a tough exterior, but when he says he takes care of his own, he meant it.

  
"Did it hurt?" Brittany asks, sitting on the edge of the bed with Santana.

  
"Yeah, it hurt. A lot. It still hurts," Blaine chuckles lightly, a hand subconsciously rubbing over his incision.

  
For the most part, his stitches have almost dissolved, he was eating and doing well too. The only thing left were these stupid results.

  
"Poor Narwhal," Brittany says sadly, making Blaine smile. He's missed her stupidity and way of thinking sometimes.

  
"I miss you guys a lot though. I miss singing and dancing," He sighs deeply, leaning back in his seat, just as Tina took the seat beside him, the only one left on the couch.

  
"We miss you too. It's weird without you. We've gotten used to it over the past few months, but there's just something missing," Tina says, looking to her friend. Blaine smiles a little.

  
"It's been a weird year. I think we're all just happy the school year is over," Mercedes says sadly, her hands resting on her hips.

  
"You're telling me," Blaine shakes his head. It's been incredibly weird for him. It's been a blue of hospitals, snuggles from Kurt, his parents, surgeries, radiation, chemo, and a ton of other things. He's also happy it's over. Well, almost over. Hopefully.

  
"That was a little conceited. I'm sorry," Mercedes apologizes. Blaine can't help it. He starts to laugh.

  
"Mercedes. It's fine. Really," He chuckles, despite everyone's worried faces. "Just because I have cancer doesn't mean you can't have problems too. It has been a weird year for all of us," he replies, making the diva's shoulders relax.

  
He was used to this treatment. Everyone just acting weird around him. They weren't out right rude or mean, they just walked on eggshells, scared of what they say next. They don't teach you in high school how to deal with these situations and Blaine was used to it. He wasn't going to get angry or hold it against them. They were talking to him and that was all he could have asked of them. It wasn't anything unusual. The only people that didn't treat him differently were Kurt, Cooper, and the Warblers. Damien and Marcus don't count because they didn't know him before he had cancer. They just treated him well. Like parents. The parents he's always wanted. He's said it a million times and he'll say it again.

  
"What's it like living here?" Puck asks, looking around the room. It didn't look like a traditional hospital room. More sticky notes have been added to his wall, and few more flowers from the Warblers and more blankets have been added to the room, making it even homier. Inpatients were allowed to decorate their rooms however the pleased and Blaine and Kurt did just that. "It doesn't look like I thought it would. I thought it would be a lot more like juvie. It just looks like your bedroom."

  
"No, I have a personal shower and my own room, so it is more of my bedroom, less of juvie. We aren't getting punished, Puckerman," He jokes lightly, making Puckerman smile a little. "I do wanna get out of here though. I wanna sleep in a real bed. Not a hospital bed. A real one. I want to have a real meal, even if I can only eat pieces of it, and I want to have a room without nurses walking in every couple of hours to check on me."

  
"Sounds.....normal," Finn says, smirking at the boy. Blaine smirks right back.

  
The two boys of course had a rocky start when Blaine first transferred to McKinley, but Finn's been nothing but a good brother to Blaine this past year and he's more than grateful for that. He's supportive, just like he is to Kurt. It warmed his heart. Made him feel more welcomed and wanted.

  
"I enjoy normal now," Blaine laughs, making a few others do the same. "I actually have a preferred taste of it. At least for a while," He looks over to Kurt. "Well, as normal as we can get."

  
Kurt leans forward then, pressing a soothing kiss to his lips.

  
"That's another thing I miss. Ripping on you guys for PDA," Santana says. She cocks her head to the side, her upper lip turned over. "Wanky," She shakes her head, playfully rolling her eyes in disgust.

  
"Well, get ready for senior year, because this will be our senior year," Blaine chuckles, turning to the Latino girl briefly before planting another one on his boyfriend's lips, this time moving to cup his cheek.  
"Dude, that's my brother. We went over this," Finn grumbles, covering his

eyes in fake disgust. Blaine and Kurt laugh, pulling back from each other, Kurt licking his lips to taste Blaine again. He didn't taste so sick anymore. He didn't taste of medicine anymore. He tasted like Blaine again.

  
"I'll remember that when you're making out with Rachel on our couch," Kurt rolls his eyes. Rachel looks down sheepishly and Finn's cheeks start to turn a rosy pink, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

  
"Well, I miss my awesome duet partner," Rachel says, crossing her arms over her chest and trying to ignore the last conversation. Blaine smiles.

  
"Miss you too, Rachel," He playfully shakes his head.

  
"Get ready for a duet the first week of school, because we need to make sure we place at the top again," She smirks, holding her head up higher than normal.

  
"Is she still talking?" Brittany says dopily, making Rachel gasp loudly and make a noise from the back of her throat, making the room laugh at the pair.

  
"More dance numbers next year too. We need to take the opportunity ASAP," Mike says, pointing to the recovering boy. Blaine nods.

  
"Done and done. I'm going to be rusty. It's been awhile, but I want normal again and that's normal," He sighs heavily, smiling up at his friend, who nods his head excitedly and Blaine could just see the gears working in his brain for a new number.

  
"What's after this? The surgery, the therapy, the everything?" Sam asks, looking over to his friend with genuine concern.

  
"Moving, New York, school, a ton of things," Blaine replies softly.

  
His mind has been moving a lot lately and there's a few things he's been thinking about. Things about his future that he wants to change. He's scared to mention them though, not wanting to lay it all out on the table without talking to someone about it first or upsetting someone, but soon the time will come and he'll have to. He can't leave it for too long.

  
"Dance numbers and duets apparently as well," Blaine adds.

  
"What about senior year? Are you graduating with us?" The blonde asks, a hint of worry in his eyes.

  
"Of course I am," Blaine nods. He can tell by the way that Sam was so worried, it was a question that's been bothering him for awhile.

  
"Good. It would suck if you didn't, man," Sam breathes a sigh of relief, sitting back slowly in his chair.

  
"It would really suck. It would put a damper on everything." Blaine leans back into Kurt's arms again, allowing his boyfriend to wrap an arm around his shoulders and pull him close.

  
The cuddles are short lived though, because soon Damien is knocking against the door frame again.

  
"Hey, sorry to break up the reunion, but Blaine, you have your first day of physical therapy," His nurse says, looking across the group and to his patient. Blaine nods slowly, moving to his feet, slower than normal people, but not as slow as he used to be. It wasn't hurting as bad as it used to either. He still did it with a hiss, but a lot less powerful than it was the first day. Instead of needing help to get up, he just had to slightly push off the edge of the couch. It's been almost six days since his surgery and he was getting there.

  
Blaine wasn't allowed to do anything crazy though. Only simple things, like walking for short periods of times, showers by himself, sitting by himself, moving around, and stuff like that. That's what his therapy was going to be like too for the first week or so, but he was getting there. He was going to get full strength back again. He was determined to.  
Eventually, he would be boxing again, running in the mornings again, and his favorite, dancing. He looked forward to it too. He enjoyed exercising, but especially dancing because he got to perform and that was his passion. It was close too. He could practically taste it at this point.

  
He's still not allowed to basic things though. Things like taking the stairs, making his bed, because heavy duvets can be too much, sit-ups, or anything similar. He would get there eventually though. He would. He hoped he would.

  
If everything goes well with his test results, he'll be doing it all by October or November. It was a new goal and he was going to make it.

  
He had moved on from hospital gowns a couple of days ago. He was back to hoodies, sweatshirts, t-shirts, sweatpants, and even sneakers now. Just in time for his therapy too.  
"It was really great seeing you guys. Really, it means a lot you guys came," He smiles at them, making sure to make eye contact with every single one of them to show his gratitude.

  
"Don't thank us. We're your friend, Man," Puck says, patting his arm. Blaine smiles sheepishly.

  
"I'll see you when I get back," Blaine says, turning to Kurt and pressing a kiss to his lips.

  
"I'll be here," Kurt sighs carefully to which Blaine smiles. He's been so grateful to have Kurt here. He's been here for everything and waited patiently. He's been amazing and sometimes he feels he doesn't thank him enough. Every day throughout this process, he's just found himself loving the boy more and more.

  
"I love you."

  
"Love you too."

  
With Kurt's final words, Blaine turns back to his nurse and follows him out the door, hearing the goodbyes from the New Directions members as he left.

  
"I don't think I've ever seen some of those people," Damien says, leading him down to physical therapy. Blaine smiles, hanging his head down.

  
"Yeah, they've only ever came around a couple of times, but it's the thought that counts, right?" He replies, looking back up to his nurse, who nods slowly.

  
"Sometimes your optimism scares me," Damien chuckles, making Blaine do the same.

  
They walk the rest of the way in silence, it wasn't uncomfortable at all, but there was just nothing to be said. Well, there was a lot to be said. Blaine wanted to ask him a couple of things, talk to him about even more, but now was not the time. He would have to wait a little while longer.

  
"Alright, this is your stop. Think you can make it back?" Damien smirks, obviously teasing his patient. Blaine playfully rolls his eyes.

  
"Yes, I think I will be able to make it back with no problem at all," Blaine replies, his hands shoved deep inside his pockets. Damien smiles, patting his arm.

  
"Good luck, have fun and be patient. You're not just going to bounce back, alright?"

  
"Yeah." With that, Damien leaves, leaving Blaine just outside of the physical therapy room for inpatients. It looked similar to a gym, with a few treadmills in the corner, mirrors surrounding the walls, soft mats, yoga balls, and weight lifts, it looked like he needed a membership to be there.

  
He sucks in a deep breath before entering. It occurs to him, he doesn't know what he's looking for really. Dr. Thomas only told him someone would be working with him. They didn't tell him what they would look like or where to go, so the first few minutes are spent just wondering around a little bit, hoping someone would come to him.

  
Seeing how helpless he was, a woman in a tight blonde ponytail and dressed in a bright teal shirt and Nike shorts comes up to him. She looked healthy. Incredibly healthy. She was thin and muscular at the same time. Her smile showed off a mouth full of perfectly white teeth and her skin gave her a nice golden tan. She looked like a model. If Blaine was straight, he probably would have been incredibly flustered to be around her.

  
"Are you Blaine Anderson?" She asks, her hands on her hips and a large smile on her face, showing off her pearly whites.

  
"That's me," Blaine nods. Something about this environment and these people made him feel extremely awkward. There was just something about the large room with a ton of mirrors that made him feel self-conscious and suddenly very small.

  
"I'm Kasey, I'll be your physical trainer for the next couple of months, then," She says, smacking the bubble gum in her mouth a little bit. She was friendly. Almost too friendly. Blaine nods slowly.

  
"Alright, sounds good," He agrees.

  
"I see you’re walking well, as good as you can with surgery, but we're just going to work on getting you back up to par with how you were before surgery, okay?"  
Again, Blaine nods at her words, not really knowing what else to say. He kind of just wanted to turn back around. He wasn't nervous before, but now he was for some reason.

  
"Let's just get you started on some simple exercises, okay?" She asks, as if he had some sort of say in it, because really, he didn't. He would just do what he was supposed to and deal with it.

 

By the time therapy is done, Blaine hated it. It's not that he doesn't like Kasey or the room, or anything else he was complaining about, it just made him realize how fragile he had become over the last few months. Since all of this started.

  
Kasey just started by doing simple things that he's been doing for the last couple of days anyway, like the pelvic tilting, which was not sexy like it sounded. It was just Blaine lying on the ground with Kasey beside him, guiding him on what to do, like holding his hips up in the air for a few seconds, ignoring the pain in his incision. Then she had him doing tiny scrunches which was really just him holding his stomach and then tightening his muscles which hurt the worst. Knee rolling was another. Again, he just laid on the floor, with Kasey beside him, moving his knee practically for him so they were going from one side to the other.

  
He found physical therapy a little weird and invasive, especially because Kasey seemed to be a touchy person. She was rather enthusiastic too, and Blaine was nowhere near that level again, so it was rather annoying.

  
Kasey made him walk on the treadmill for a good twenty minutes too, which was even weirder, because he was just walking, and she cheered him on like it was a marathon. He didn't like physical therapy, clearly.

  
She continued to lecture him about how he needs to sit now. You know, have good posture, it will help the pain and the incision, so cuddling back with Kurt was ruled out, but honestly, Blaine was going to do it anyway. Cancer could take a lot of things, but cuddles from his boyfriend was on the 'Do Not Touch List'. Eventually, they would work their way up to crunches then sit ups, then to weights soon too.

  
Don't get him wrong, Blaine still liked exercising, but he's realized he liked exercising at his own pace. He didn't like having a trainer to watch over him and make sure he was doing certain things right or cheer him on like he was their kid at a little league game. It just felt weird. He liked doing those things by himself, because exercise was time to let his mind wander and think, let off some steam. Now he just felt pressured and like he was worked too hard. It took the whole enjoyment out of it.

  
It didn't help that there were other people getting physical therapy and it made Blaine feel terrible. There was a man who was getting used to a prosthetic leg, a little girl working from some sort of arm surgery, and an elderly man regaining use of his hands. He felt bad for complaining at all about his situation. He knows he shouldn't, because he did or does have cancer, but at least he didn't have to lose a limb. He just lost an organ instead. The little girl was close to tears and the man with the new leg looked like he wanted to give up. It broke his heart.

  
Luckily, the session didn't last more than an hour and he was able to leave. After getting a ton of pamphlets about the things he needed to know about his recovery of course. Now, he could spend the rest of the day with Kurt and possibly the New Directions if they were still there. It sounded like the afternoon he needed.

 

-0-

Today was the day. Today was 'D' day. It was the day that Blaine was going to find out whether these last eleven months meant anything and if they were worth anything at all.  
He was terrified and that was an understatement. He's had countless dreams about this day. He's dreamy the good and the bad and now, in the matter of a few hours, he would know. He would know exactly what his fate was. He would know what his future would look like, even if it was a rough idea.

  
Damien told him to stay positive, but he just couldn't do it. No matter how many deep breaths he took or how many stupid stress relievers he tries, nothing worked. The thoughts still plagued his mind and they wouldn't settle until this testing was over with and he knew the answers that's he's been waiting for, for over ten months.

  
Everyone else was terrified too. Blaine could see it in the way Kurt tapped his foot and Cooper bounced his knee. They were just as nervous as Blaine was, but they weren't acknowledging it. Not until Blaine was being ready to be taken back for his testing. A blood test had already been taken, to see if it had spread to the blood stream. All that was left was his MRI and that scared him shitless.

  
He's had tons of MRI's done in the last year, but he never did like them. He just had to lay there for around thirty minutes, trying to remain still and hope it wouldn't end like a scene from Final Destination, where someone accidentally walked in with some sort of metal thing and it would get sucked into the tube. Yes, that was extensive and sounds like something that would only happen in movies, but as Cooper has said, Blaine worries. A lot.

  
It was uncomfortable, no matter how many times they shifted him prior to going into the machine and the machine itself kind of scares him. It's totally silent with bright lights and it was kind of cold in there. He couldn't eat anything at least three hours before the MRI and it was boring. It was so boring to just lie there in silence, while a bunch of doctors knew your results and watched over them. He didn't like it at all.

  
He should just be grateful that this is all finally happening, but worrying about the MRI was making his head forget, even just for a moment, what that MRI would entail, so he would rather worry about an MRI that he knew was going to end up fine.

  
"Cooper, you're going to chew your fingernails off," Kurt says, looking over to the older Anderson with one eyebrow raised.

  
"Sorry if I’m a little nervous," Cooper says, crossing his arms over his chest, a little irritation in his voice.

  
"You're nervous? You're kidding, right?" Blaine says from his spot in his bed, looking over to Cooper and Kurt with his brows furrowed, but with a slight smile on his face. Cooper's shoulders go slack.

  
"Sorry," He clears out his throat.

  
"Cooper, I'm kidding. Chill out," Blaine says softly, his smile growing a little. Cooper manages a nervous smile, feeling a little stupid, which wasn't out of the ordinary.

  
"Are you nervous?" Kurt asks from his seat on the couch.

  
"Yeah, really nervous," He admits, sucking in a deep breath. "What's gonna happen if it spread?" He mumbles the last part, licking his lips nervously. Kurt gets to his feet, sitting himself at the edge of his boyfriend's bed. He reaches over, thinking about what he was going to say, and takes both of his hands in his own, squeezing tightly.  
"We'll figure it out," He promises. It's an empty promise, Blaine knows it, because there's nothing to figure out.

  
"I don't think I'd be able to go through chemo again, Kurt," Blaine admits, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I know it would be an option, but it killed me, Kurt. It tore me down and I can't go through that again." Kurt sucks in a shaky breath, staring at his boyfriend, before nodding his head slowly.

  
"I wouldn't expect you to," he sniffles, tears gathering in his eyes. "I know how hard that is on your body and I hated to see you go through that." Blaine nods with him slowly.  
"I love you so much," Blaine blurts, leaning forward to wrap his boyfriend in for a tight hug.

  
"I love you too." Kurt's crying. Blaine can just tell by his voice. He gets it. He understands. He wouldn't want the roles to be reversed, so he understands.

  
"If it spread, I get if you wanna leave. I mean, I know how hard this has been on you too, Kurt. I can see it in your eyes. I see how tired you are and I wouldn't expect you to stay with me," Blaine says when they finally pulled back, Kurt's hand still on Blaine's waist, rubbing carefully, and Blaine's hand resting at Kurt's sides.

  
"I don't care how tired I am, or have been, or will be. I really don't. Of course this has taken its toll on me, but I can't leave you, Baby. I really can't. That would kill me more than staying with you until the end," Kurt shakes his head, a couple of tears falling down his cheeks, which Blaine is quick to wipe away with his thumb. "I love you way too much to leave you alone and have you suffer through this with no one but Cooper, alright?"

  
"Okay," Blaine nods, his own tears gathering and starting to fall. Their lips hover over each other's for a few seconds before Kurt's pulling him in and letting their lips crash together, holding him there for a few seconds. It tasted like salt, but it felt like love. Everything was being poured into this kiss. Every ounce they had to give to each other.  
By the time they pull back, they're both out of breath. It never went past just sucking on Kurt's upper lip, but it was long.

  
"We'll get through this together," Kurt promises, one of his hands holding the back of his boyfriend's head and rubbing carefully. Blaine nods, falling into his embrace.

  
This was the last chance. This was it. If a surgery didn't work, then that would be it. He couldn't go through another year full of chemo and radiation. He'd probably kill himself before he did that. He would rather just die slowly and painfully, knowing he really did try, then have the chemo not work and die anyway, miserable.

  
"I'm not leaving either," Cooper says from his spot on the couch. The couple looks up, clearly forgetting he was even there. Blaine smiles, hanging his head.

  
"I'd hope not. I don't know what I'd do if you did, Coop," Blaine admits, wiping at his cheeks as he pulled back completely from Kurt, their hands still locked together. Cooper smiles, looking down at the tile floor.

  
"I don't plan on leaving either until you're out of here. Home. I don't care where that is, just as long as it's not here and it's not with Mom and Dad, because you don't need them."

  
"I don't think I could go back there anyway. Dad made it clear he didn't want me there and Mom is too oblivious to give a shit about me," Blaine sniffles, clearing out his throat bitterly. Kurt bites his bottom lip.

  
He hated to hear Blaine talk about his parents like that. Not because they didn't deserve it, but because they did and it was all true. Blaine deserved so much more. He deserved a real family, not the bullshit one he was born into. Kurt almost hated those two as much as Cooper and Blaine did. Cooper wanted to beat them, while Blaine just wanted to forget about them, move on with his life. Kurt on the other hand, was open to either option, because honestly, he wanted to hurt James too.

  
"You're shaking," Kurt comments, looking down at their conjoined hands and watched the way Blaine's fingers were slightly vibrating.

  
"I'm terrified," He chokes out.

  
"Honey, everything will work out," Kurt says, lifting Blaine's chin to look at him. Blaine shakes his head.

  
"You don't know that," His voice is just above a whisper, tears rolling down his cheeks. Kurt's heart breaks over and over again for him. He wishes he did know that. He wishes it was that simple, but it's not. Now, they were here, waiting for Dr. Thomas to come and collect Blaine for his MRI.

  
"I know," Kurt admits. "Just know that I'll always be here, always. No matter what happens."

  
"Okay," Blaine nods again, swallowing thickly, before moving so he can lay his forehead against Kurt's shoulder. Kurt cups the back of his head, rubbing the bald area carefully as if he was made of glass. He presses his lips to the back of his neck, letting them linger there for comfort. He's hears footsteps and soon Cooper is coming behind his brother, rubbing his back gently, allowing him to cry for a few minutes.

  
They sit like that for what feels like hours, Cooper and Kurt doing anything they can to comfort the smallest Anderson, understanding just how terrified he truly was.

  
By the time Blaine is pulling back, wiping at his eyes, someone is knocking on the door frame. It's Damien.

  
"Hey, Blaine," He says sadly, seeing the tear tracks. "You ready?" After wiping at his eyes a bit more and receiving a kiss from his boyfriend, he nods, swinging his legs off the side of the bed.

  
"Yeah," he says, his voice still thick. Kurt squeezes his hand one more time before letting him go totally so he can go with his nurse. Cooper and Kurt both watch him walk out the door, beside his nurse, worry in both of their eyes and tears starting to gather once more. It was now or never.

  
Blaine walks beside Damien, his fingers still slightly shaking and he was still sniffling back his tears. They walk in silence, neither of them saying anything, just passing by every room, looking at the different occupants, until they reach the right wing.

  
"And we're here," Damien says. Blaine goes to walk in, but Damien stops him, putting a hand over his shoulder. "Stay positive," He says softly. Blaine hangs his head down, his lip quivering before he just tackles Damien with a hug, having to stand on his toes to reach him. Damien wraps his arms around Blaine's middle, holding him close.

  
"It's okay. Everything's going to be okay, Blaine. You're okay," He repeats, rocking them from side to side a little, trying to calm him down. Blaine nods into his shoulder.  
Blaine pulls back first, wiping at his eyes.

  
"Love you, Kid."

  
"Love you too," Blaine sniffles, giving his nurse one last look, before walking through the doors, where another nurse was waiting to take him back to the MRI room. Damien watches him until they turn off into another room. He felt like his heart was ripping into a million pieces and it was aching. This is what it felt like to watch your son go through something horrible and Damien hated the feeling.

  
Now, it was just a matter of time before they knew everything they've worked so hard for.

 

 

-0-

 

He thought he was nervous before the MRI, but it turns out he was wrong. This is what nervous felt like. He's sitting down on the couch, picking at his fingernails, his hands shaking, and the constant sting of tears starting in the back of his hazel eyes. He feels like he can't breathe, feeling his heart thump inside his chest, feeling like it's going to burst out at any given second.

  
Results were there. They were just waiting for Dr. Thomas to walk through that door and deliver the news. Good or Bad. Kurt, Cooper, and Burt were here. Burt was sitting beside him, trying not to let the nerves show, but everyone could see and no one was blaming him. Cooper was sitting in the chemo chair, chewing his nails like a snack, and Kurt was pacing, big surprise. No one had the heart to tell him to sit though.

  
Blaine's mind was a bit preoccupied. First, he wondered why it was taking so long. It's been an hour. Why isn't he back? Is it because they found something? Is it because it got worse? The possibilities were endless and he knows that if Damien was here, he would have yelled at him for being so negative, but he couldn't help it.

  
Blaine nervously checks the clock again. It's been exactly sixty four minutes since his MRI. Dr. Thomas should be back by now. Where the hell was he?

  
"Can he hurry up any?" Kurt grumbles, practically reading his boyfriend's mind.

  
"Patience," Burt reminds him, even if he too was tapping his foot nervously and continually checking the clock. Kurt rolls his eyes, but when he turns back around to start pacing again, he saw Dr. Thomas in the doorway.

  
"Hey, guys," He greets, his usual happy smile on his face. That had to mean something. Kurt smiles, his shoulder relaxing before he sat between his father and his boyfriend, his hand instantly going to take Blaine's. Blaine relaxes under his touch.

  
"Hey," Blaine says softly. As usual, Dr. Thomas rolls up his stool and sits across from everyone. Cooper leans forward in his chair, his elbows on his knees.

  
"How are you?" Dr. Thomas asks, as if they were just going to discuss dinner plans.

  
"As much as I love to small talk, I'm about to have another heart attack, Doc," Burt says, lightly joking. Kurt snaps his head towards his father, but Burt rolls his eyes and look back towards Blaine's doctor.

  
"Right. Well, we took your blood tests a few days ago, and things were normal, so it didn't spread there, which is always good, but we also took an MRI today," He says, his face turning serious. Blaine swallows. He felt like he was going to throw up he was so nervous. He squeezes Kurt's hand tightly. He would apologize for how hard he was squeezing, but Kurt was squeezing right back with the same amount of pressure.

  
"Blaine, you did wonderful. Besides the lack of stomach, everything came back normal."

  
He almost passes out. His ears are ringing. Is that normal? Kurt lets out a sob and Cooper is jumping onto his feet pumping his fist, but Blaine just continues to stare straight ahead, his eyes wide. Burt is also cheering, but it's all white noise against the ringing.

  
Everything came back normal. Normal. He never used to use that word to describe him, but he now loves that word. Normal. It sounded wonderful coming from his doctor's mouth.

  
"Blaine?" As if grounding him, his doctor waves a hand in front of his face.

  
"Am I in remission?" Blaine asks, his heart practically thumping from his chest.

  
"I would say that you are in remission," Dr. Thomas nods. "We found no traces of....."

  
Dr. Thomas's voice trails off as his shoulders relax. He falls back covering his face with his hands and letting out a loud sob. Kurt's smile is practically wiped off his face as he turns to see his boyfriend sobbing almost uncontrollably.

  
"Baby?" Kurt whimpers. Blaine shakes his head, moving forward again, so he can wrap his arms around Kurt and sob into his shoulder. Kurt smiles, petting his head in the wait he knows Blaine loves.

  
"I fucking did it," Blaine chokes out, his shoulders shaking.

  
"Yeah, you did, Baby," Kurt smiles, pressing a kiss to the side of his head.

  
"Oh my God," he cries, gripping at his boyfriend. They sit like that for a few seconds, everyone giving them time, before Blaine pulls back and Dr. Thomas offers him a tissue box, which Blaine gratefully picks a few from.

  
"When will he be discharged?" Cooper asks, a large grin on his face.

  
"I'd say by next week you'll be gone," Dr. Thomas says, shrugging his shoulders. "Radiation will be done by then too. You'll just have to come back on regular visits to make sure things stay this way, but Blaine, you are in remission."

  
He feels like he's dreaming still. He's heard the word 'Remission' and his name put into the same sentence twice and he still feels like he needs to be pinched. It seems too good to be true. It feels like there a catch, but there isn't. This is it. He did it. He pushed past it and got through it. He could return to school in the fall and dance on stage, sing at Nationals next year. He had a lot to look forward to and he was ready for all of them. Every single thing. Duets with Rachel, dance numbers with Mike and Brittany, the movies with Sam, video games with Finn and Puck, and real dates with Kurt. He was ready for it all. Every single thing.

  
"Congratulations," His doctor says patting his knee. "I'll leave you guys to celebrate, alright? Plan on getting out of here by Monday." With that, he stands up, shoving his stool back in the corner and walking out, shutting the door behind him.

  
Before Blaine can react, Cooper is pulling him up into a hug, squeezing him tightly. Blaine grips onto his neck, allowing his brother to hold him.

  
"Holy shit, Blaine! You're amazing! You did it! You really did do it! Oh my God!" The actor cries, lifting him off the ground. Blaine sobs, gripping onto his brother's t-shirt  
"Cooper!" He cries, a large smile on his face from his brother's enthusiasm.

  
"I can't help it, Squirt! I'm so fucking proud of you! So proud of you!" He cheers, spinning him in a circle. Blaine grips on for dear life, laughing his ass off as he does so.  
"Cooper! Put me down!" He protests, finally feeling the ache where his stomach should have been.

  
"Sorry," His brother apologizes, finally setting him down on the floor. Cooper holds him at arm's length, shaking his head with amusement, but a large grin on his face, despite the tears in his eyes. "So proud of you, Blainey."

  
Blaine smiles back at him, patting his arm and nodding his head. Cooper pulls him in for one final hug, this time a lot shorter, before Blaine moved onto Burt. Burt wraps him in for a giant bear hug, patting his back.

  
"Proud of you, kid! I'm so goddamn happy that you'll be okay. I hope you know that," Burt sighs, holding him close. Blaine's smile gets wider, if that was even possible, and hugs him back, letting out a deep, relieved breath.

  
He felt like the weight was lifted off his shoulders. Yes, it was incredibly surreal, but it was real. It happened. He's in remission. No more chemo, no more radiation, no more surgeries, and no more hospital. He was finished. He could go home and be a normal eighteen year old for the months left of it. He was ecstatic.

  
"Thank you, Burt. Thank you," Blaine says softly, making Burt shake his head.

  
"I would do it all over again if it was for you, Kid," he assures him, pulling back and squeezing his shoulder. Blaine's cheeks start to flush, but before he can really react, Kurt is pulling him in for another hug.

  
"I told you! I told you! I told you!" He giggles, making Blaine do the same, his arms wrapped around his neck, his nose nuzzling against the crook of his neck.

  
"I'm so happy that you're always right," Blaine sighs with content, which makes Kurt laugh at him and pull back, but only so he can cup his cheeks and kiss his lips passionately. Blaine smiles into it, Kurt's lips tasting of salt and tears, but it didn't matter, because it's all he's ever wanted.

  
"Remission, Kurt. I'm in remission!" He cheers. Kurt nods again and again, peppering his face with soft kisses.

  
"You are! You're in remission! The big 'R' word!" He cries, bringing him back in for another hug, this time squeezing him harder.

  
"I love you, Kurt. So much. You stuck by me and I don't think I'd be here if you didn't. Thank you. Thank you so much. I love you. I love you. I love you!" He repeats, kissing Kurt's collarbone. Kurt laughs even if there are tears rushing down his cheeks and holds him close.

  
"I do it because I love you and I would do it again, Blaine. As much as I hated seeing you like this, I would do it again if it meant we could have our happy ending," he sniffles. Blaine pulls back from the hug, kissing his lips again, only this time quickly. He pulls back almost totally, looking to the other two men.

  
"Thank you guys, for being family. For taking care of me and everything else in between. Just thank you. It means the world to me. Without you, I don't think I would have done it. I really don't, so thank you!" Blaine sighs.

  
"You know you're like a son to me, Blaine."

  
"You're my baby brother! Where else would I be?" Cooper says, locking an arm around his shoulders and pulling him in for another tight hug, making Blaine start laughing again. "Love you, Squirt."

  
"Love you too, Coop," Blaine returns, as his brother finally lets him go.

  
Now, it was just a matter of getting everything together. Making sure things were where they needed to be. Packing up, telling people, celebrating, moving, and everything else that came with it. It sounded stressful, but Blaine couldn't wait. He couldn't wait to do any of it. There were things that needed to be sorted before he got out of the hospital and that's what he needed to do now.

 

  
Damien knew that Blaine got the news. He figured he would come and see him, tell him something when he found out, but he still hasn't. It's been almost an hour and a half since he took him for his MRI, and he hasn't heard a word from him. He made his rounds as usual, trying not to let it bother him, but his head was definitely somewhere else. The nurse also knows he shouldn't be so invested in one of his patient's stories, but he couldn't help it. He's taken quite the liking to Blaine.

  
Not in a creepy pedophile way, but in a fatherly way. His husband and he opened his doors for the boy, giving him a place to live if he needed it. That was another thing he knew was weird considering he was just his patient, but they couldn't help it. Blaine has became a second son to them. It's crazy how the boy could wiggle his way into their lives like that.

  
The nurse lets out a deep breath, going back to filling out some paperwork, trying to distract himself. He couldn't help but wonder though. Maybe something went wrong. Maybe that's why he hasn't heard from the boy. Maybe he's mad at Damien for giving him false hope. Damien shakes his head, trying to get the thought from his head. He couldn't think like that. Blaine would talk to him no matter what.

  
He groans, tossing his pen onto the counter, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

  
"Damien!" At the sound of Blaine's voice, Damien picks his head up instantly, hope in his eyes. He was crying. Blaine was crying. Oh God. That didn't look good. Before he could react, the boy was tackling him with a large hug, making his nurse stumble back a little bit before wrapping his arm around his shoulders.

  
"Hey," He's not smiling. He's freaking out inside, scared that he wasn't okay. That the boy in his arms was slowly dying.

  
"It worked," Blaine says, pulling back from the hug, a large smile on his face. He swears his heart started to beat again, finally.

  
"You're not joking? You're serious?" His face erupts into a large grin. Blaine nods enthusiastically.

  
"Yeah, Dr. Thomas just left my room," Blaine says through a chuckle, making Damien bring him him for a larger hug, squeezing him tight.

  
"Blaine, I am so proud of you. So, so, so proud of you," Damien coos, making Blaine laugh harder, his cheek resting against Damien's chest. "So, you're leaving then, huh?" They break the hug again, looking at each other while they talk. Blaine's smile fades quickly, resting his hands on his hips. "What's wrong?" His face quickly turns serious.

  
"I don't wanna to leave you guys," Blaine says softly, looking down at his feet. He's not going to lie, Damien didn't want him to leave either. Yes, he wanted him to be healthy, but he didn't want him to leave. He loved having Blaine around.

  
"This won't be the last you see of us. I hope you know that. You're stuck with us now. Thomas has taken quite a liking to you," Damien teases, but Blaine only cracks a small smile.

  
"Can I ask you something?" He asks, furrowing his brow and looking up at nurse wearily.

  
"Of course," he nods quickly, a sinking feeling of worry filling his gut. Something was wrong.

  
"Remember a few months ago when you said I could come live with you if I wanted to?"

  
"Yeah, I'd hope so," He tries to joke, but Blaine wasn't smiling.

  
"Does that offer still stand?" He asks quietly. Damien's smile fades.

  
"Blaine, of course it does. That extra room is your if you want it. Our offer will always stand," The nurse nods, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Are you and Kurt having problems?"

  
"No, we're fine. I just-I don't really want to leave you guys," He shrugs, looking down at his feet. He can't help it. He smiles, he really does smile. "I don't want Kurt and I to become brothers either. I just want a normal family. I want to have a normal relationship. I want normal. I want to be able to pick him up for dates, linger on the porch for too long, have a normal relationship with him. Just like it used to be, only I'll want to come home instead. You know?" He scoffs.

  
"Well, I don't know how normal our house will be, but you're very welcome to move in if you want," He shrugs. Blaine's shoulders relax and a small smile graces his lips. Damien understood. Having space in a relationship was important. Yes, living together sounded awesome, but they weren't living together as a couple, it would be living like roommates only, brothers even, with Kurt's parents down the hall. He understood. He got it.

  
"Thank you, so much," Blaine smiles shyly, to which Damien nods.

  
"Don't thank me. You know Marcus and I love you and would do it again. So, when do you move in?"

  
"Monday," Blaine smiles, his shoulders falling flat. Damien nods, his smile growing.

  
"Well, we'll start cleaning out the extra room then."

  
"I also don't expect you to take care of me or anything. I'll get a job and take care of finances and stuff, pay rent, whatever. I'm eighteen. promise I'll-"

  
"Blaine, we wouldn't invite you to live with us if we didn't know what we were getting into, alright? We don't expect you to pay for anything a normal teenager wouldn't. I get that you're an adult and if you want to get a job to pay for extra things, go for it. Just don't do it until you're healed totally. Whatever we're willing to do with Thomas, we'll do for you. We're taking you in as another kid, Blaine, okay?"

  
"Damien, you don't have to-"

  
"No, we don't, but we want to. We really do. We both love you, and Thomas does too. We'll take care of you just like Burt would. Okay?" Reluctantly, Blaine nods slowly, biting his bottom lip. Damien smiles at him. This was totally Blaine, being the adult that he didn't need to be for now.

  
"Come here," The nurse opens his arms and Blaine shuffles forward to allow himself to be wrapped in another hug. Damien squeezes him tight, feeling the stress in Blaine's muscles relax from the hug. He rubs his shoulders carefully as they hug, his chin resting on the top of his head.

  
"Do you do this for all your patients?"

  
"No, just you," Damien chuckles, letting the boy go. "Have you talked to Kurt yet?"

  
"No, but I will. Eventually. Before Monday anyway. I just don't want him to be mad. I wanna explain it to him, get him to understand. Wait until we're alone, because I don't want him to think I'm mad or I don't want to hurt him. Nothing's changed between me and him. If anything, I love him more."

  
"Good, don't let him walk out either, talk to him. Make sure he understands."

  
"Yeah," Blaine nods quickly, crossing his arms over his chest.

  
"Hey, don't worry. If Kurt cares about you and your happiness, which he does, he'll understand," Damien tries to comfort, to which Blaine nods again, trying to believe his nurse's words.

  
He really didn't want to make Kurt think he was ungrateful, because he was. He was incredibly grateful for everything the Hummels have done. It's just, being stuck in a hospital at all hours of the day and being unable to sleep at night, gave him a lot of time to think. Think about what he wanted and the idea of moving in with Damien and Marcus kept coming back to him. He wants things to go back to how they were and moving in with Kurt wouldn't give him that. He still loves Kurt and Hummels, he always will, and that house will be home, but he just wants to have a normal house. He wanted to be able to have breaks like every other relationship. Be able to go home after a date, linger on the porch too long, have late night phone calls. Fall asleep to his voice over the phone and wake up with the call still going.

  
Homework over Facetime, picking Kurt up for their dates and the the other way around, surprise him with flowers and presents for their anniversary and Valentine's Day. Sleep over together, late Friday nights on the couch. He wants to be a normal teenager for the last year of his high school career.

  
He couldn't do half of those things if he moved in with Kurt. Yes, he would move in with Kurt when they do go to New York, there is no doubt about it, because he loved him with his entire heart, just not yet. Is that so bad? Was he crazy for thinking like this? Selfish? He didn't know, but he didn't want to move in and want out or lose magic from their relationship because of it. He was terrified of that fact.

  
Living with someone as a boyfriend was one thing, living as a roommate was another. They'd be like siblings with a lot more kissing. It just sounded weird to him the more he thought about it.

  
He kept making excuses for wanting to move in with Damien and Marcus. He kept attempting to convince himself that that was the reason he didn't want to move in with the Hummels, when really, he didn't want to lose Damien and Marcus. This has been said plenty of times, but they were like his parents and he wasn't ready to give that up just yet, or ever. He didn't want to lose them. Promising to never leave was something, but not leaving was another, because it wouldn't be the first time someone has left him.  
Damien and Marcus just meant too much to him for that to happen. Having them come to Glee club things and school events and football games sounded like a dream. To have parents, that were his parents, not his boyfriend's, was a dream. His parents never did stuff like that even when he was a child, and he wanted that. He wanted the so badly and he knows those two would happily fill that role in his life. It was everything he's ever wanted and moving in with them sounded like everything he's been dreaming of for years.  
Maybe he was selfish for wanting that, but maybe he needed to be a little selfish to be fully happy.

 

-0-

 

He should be happy and excited. It was his last time going to support group, but he didn't feel any of those things. He felt guilty. He knows what it's like to hear someone get to the end of their journey and feel jealous that it wasn't happening to you. To get the feeling that you were going to be stuck there forever. The last thing he wanted was for one of the other three guys feel like that.

  
Blaine walked into the room with a heavy heart. For once, everyone was there, including Marcus. As soon as his therapist saw him walk through the door, he was on his feet, wrapping him in for a tight hug. Blaine's shocked at first, but is soon hugging back. He'll never get sick of hugging him or Damien.

  
"We're excited to have you home with us," He whispers, making, Blaine's lips turn into a small smile at the reminder of where he was headed after all of this. "I'm also extremely proud of you, Blaine."

  
"Thank you, Marcus," Blaine says once they've pulled back. "Seriously, you guys have done so much for me. More than any nurse would, so thank you. Thank you so, so, so much. It means the world to me."

  
"We know. That's why we wanted to do it. We care about you, Blaine," his therapist smiles, to which Blaine nods, his smiling growing. "Alright, come on." He puts his hand on Blaine's back and leads him into the room the rest of the way, allowing him to sit in his usual spot on the end of the half circle.

  
"Well, guys. Here we are, another week. How's everyone feeling?" Marcus asks, sitting himself down in his chair, crossing one leg over the other.

  
"Exhausted," Aaron replies softly. Chemo must be really hitting him. The affects must be tearing him down like they did to Blaine and everyone else here especially in the beginning.

  
"You get used to it," Leo says bitterly from beside him, his arms crossed over his chest.

  
"Yeah, sadly, you do," Marcus says, leaning over to put a comforting hand on his knee. The boy sighs heavily, looking down at the floor again. "Well, let's get our positive out of the way. Lincoln?"  
The teen thinks for a moment, squinting his eyes and looking up at the ceiling. "Um, well, my mom sent a care package to me, and it included a few new Marvel movies and comic books that I've missed over the past few months, which you know, for my mom, that's a lot. She can send a care package, but she can't come visit me. It's amazing how that works," Lincoln trails off, shaking his with clear disbelief.

  
"What about your brother? Does he still come see you?" Marcus asks. Lincoln nods slowly.

  
"That's how I got the care package," He says softly, sucking in a deep breath. "Alright, next person," He shakes his head, as if trying to remove the thought from his brain and motioning towards Leo.  
"Me?" Leo scrunches his brows, but rolls his eyes when Lincoln nods quickly. He thinks for a second before answering. "I was able to leave the hospital on Monday and my mom took my sister and I to the mall. I had to wear a mask, to make sure I didn't get sick, but it was worth it. I felt normal for a few hours. It felt awesome. It's been months since that happened," He scoffs, shaking his head. Marcus smiles and Blaine can see the pride practically beam off of him. He really did love his patients. He really did. He'd been suspcious at first, but a lot of things have changed since the first time he walked through those doors.

  
"Aaron, what about you?" Marcus raises his eyebrows at the boy, a small smirk on his face.

  
"I finished my first round of chemo. Six more to go, but I finished my first one," He shrugs, as if it wasn't a big deal.

  
"You're that much closer then. It's small but it means something. Everything does," he replies, his smile growing. As if it was contagious, Aaron started to smile too.

  
"Celebrate the small things, right?" Lincoln quotes, looking at the therapist, who chuckles, hanging his head.

  
"I didn't know you actually listened to me, Lincoln. Good to hear it," He teases, winking at the boy, who just smiles and shakes his head a little.

  
"Now, Blaine, what was your positive?" He looks to him knowingly. Blaine freezes. He doesn't know what to say. He knows what he could say. He could blurt it out and say that he was in remission, that he was only here to say goodbye, really, but he saw the exhaustion in Aaron's eyes and the annoyance in Leo's. It sounded selfish to brag about being done, especially when Leo and Lincoln have been here longer, a lot longer. It seems rude and inconsiderate.

  
He looks around nervously, back at Marcus, who just looked happy, even if a hint of worry was stuck in his eyes.

  
"You're in remission, aren't you?" The words came from Lincoln's mouth, his eyes narrowed towards the boy and his arms crossed tight over his chest. Blaine swallows thickly, looking down at his hands that were sweating with nerves. He takes a deep breath before nodding slowly.

  
"Blaine, why aren't you excited? I'd be flipping my shit if I were you. What's wrong?" Leo asks, scrunches his brows together and studying his friend with confusion in his face.  
"I know what it feels like to know someone just went in remission while you're still fighting. It sucks. I know what I felt and I would hate for anyone else to feel like that," He shrugs.

  
"Man, you've gotta stop being so compassionate," Leo laughs, shaking his head. Blaine smiles gently, his shoulders relaxing as he hung his head. "We're happy for you. Well, I am anyway. I'm still here, but I'm getting better. I know I am. I'm so close that I can taste it, but that doesn't mean you can't be. We're proud, Blaine. You're one of us."  
"Thanks, Leo," Blaine smiles, looking up at the boy. Leo nods carefully, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. Lincoln was still looking down at his feet, hugging himself tightly.

  
"We're all proud of you, Blaine," Marcus confirms, leaning over to squeezing his knee. Blaine starts to smile. His lips start to curl into a smile and his cheeks start to turn a light pink.

  
Honestly, he was proud too. He had every right to be. He beat it, but he still couldn't shake the feeling of guilt from the pit of his stomach.

  
"I don't know what to say," Lincoln blurts, shaking his head. Blaine's smile fades instantly, looking up at the boy.

  
"I-" Blaine starts, but Lincoln was talking over him.

  
"You're leaving me with them? What the hell, man?" He teases, to which Blaine relaxes, his heart rate going back to normal. "I'm gonna miss you like crazy," He shakes his head, his lips moving to form a smile.

  
"I'll miss you too, Lincoln."

  
"Just promise you won't 'lose my number'. That doesn't work on me, Blaine," Lincoln jokes, pointing a finger at his friend, to which Blaine chuckles, hanging his head again.

  
"I couldn't possibly lose it when I'm texting you constantly," Blaine teases, making Lincoln chuckle lightly.

  
"Just don't text me when you're with Kurt and you're suck-"

  
"I suggest you don't finish that sentence," Marcus scolds, making sure to cut him off, even if he did have a smile on his face. The group bursts out in laughter at the exchange. For a second, the pair forgot they weren't just hanging out like usual or by themselves, making fun of each other like always.

  
"I thought it was hilarious," Lincoln shrugs, wiping the tears of laughter from under his eyes once the laughter died down a little bit. His therapist shakes his head, clearly not finding it very amusing. Well, he pretended to not find it amusing.

  
"Honestly, I don't want to think about that. You guys are my patients. I like to think you're all nice and sweet, innocent virgins, but I'm clearly mistaken," Marcus shudders. Blaine's cheeks turn a light pink at his word. Marcus just wasn't his therapist anymore, he was like a parent. It was like being scolded by your dad. Your dad finding out you're having sex. It made him shiver and shake his head quickly.

  
"Well, I'm definitely not a virgin," Lincoln brags, leaning back in his chair and putting his hands behind his head. Everyone looks at him skeptically. He quickly deflates. "Yeah, you caught me," He shrugs.

  
Besides the quick pause to joke, the rest of the session goes nicely, but Blaine feels like his heart is being ripped into two. His last session was over. While yes, he would get to move in Damien and Marcus, he wouldn't see the others as often or at all. He hasn't even heard from Josie since she left. Why was he any different? They've become his friends rather quickly and he didn't want to leave him. He's been here for almost a year and all of them have spent a lot of time together. Now, he was leaving. He was leaving them all here. He would of course visit a few times, but it wasn't the same. They wouldn't just pass each other's in the halls anymore or run into each other in the visiting room. He was just leaving and he hated it almost as much as he loved it.

  
Of course, Blaine's last session ended with a group hug and Lincoln and Blaine were in tears by the end of it.

 

 

 

 


	30. Chapter Thirty: Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Another one! Two more chapters left! If you love angst, don't worry, the angst is not over yet! Yes, there will be more fluff, but angst is still coming so stick with this! Thank you and enjoy! There are two more installments left! Yay! Enjoy and don't forget to leave a kudos if you haven't already, check out my other stuff, and leave a comment! Thank you so much!

  
Four days. In four days he would be out of the hospital. He still hasn't told Kurt his new plans for his living arrangements, but he would. He was supposed to come and help him pack some of his things today, so it was now or never.

  
Blaine got a head start though on packing. Damien gave him a couple of small boxes, so he started to pack up things he won't need, like extra clothes and decorations.   
Just as he was packing the last stack of books from the 'already read' pile, someone was clearing their throat, grabbing his attention.

He expected it to be Damien or maybe Cooper, but when he lifted his head from the half packed box, it was Lincoln standing in his doorway, hands stuff deep inside his pockets.

  
"You really think packing things isn't too strenuous for you after a major surgery?" Lincoln smirks, making Blaine smile and hang his head in defeat.

  
"You sound like Kurt," Blaine remarks.

  
"He has the right mindset then. Should you really be lifting heavy things?"

  
"I don't think a couple of paperback books count as heavy lifting. Damien already yelled at me when I suggested I take the fairy lights down. I guess standing on a chair after an abdominal surgery is frowned upon," he shrugs, looking around the room. It still looked almost the exact same, just a bit cleaner because the books were picked up from the corner. Lincoln chuckles, hanging his head down.

  
"What are you gonna do when you move? How will you ever restrain yourself?" He teases.

  
"I don't know, but I do know that between Damien, Cooper, Marcus, and Kurt, there's no way they're letting me help, so I might as well help while I still can," he says putting his hands on his hips. Lincoln nods slowly.

  
"You're hair is coming back," he says, nodding towards Blaine's head.

  
"Barely. It's coming back in patches and you can just see the tint of black from my hair. It's not even peach fuzz yet," Blaine replies, rubbing a hand over the top of his head. "It's still freezing."

  
"I know that too well," Lincoln shrugs, motioning towards his own bald head. The two share a small laugh. This suddenly felt like goodbye. "Hey, I have some news for you." Blaine picks up his head to look at his friend, his brows furrowed.

  
"What happened?" He asks, crossing his arms over his chest. His face quickly turned serious, his mind, like always, going to the worst scenario ever.

  
"I talked to my doctor today," Lincoln starts, coming in a bit further into the room, his steps slow. Blaine remains silent, waiting for him to elaborate. "I got a few tests done on my cancer a few days ago, and he came in and talked to me."

  
"Lincoln, I appreciate the dramatics, but you're killing me here," Blaine chuckles lightly. Lincoln smiles, looking back down at the tiled floor.

  
"He approved me for surgery, Blaine," He manages. When he looked up at his friend, Blaine's jaw practically dropped to the floor.

  
"Lincoln," Blaine breathes, wrapping his friend in for a tight hug.

  
"I'm gonna get out of here, Blaine," Lincoln cries, accepting the hug and wrapping his own arms around his shoulders.

  
"Of course you are," Blaine cries, patting his back comfortingly.

  
"I never thought I would. I've been here for over a year, Blaine. I've spent almost a year and a half of my life hooked to a feeding tube and lying in a hospital bed. I miss it. I miss my life," He says, finally pulling back and wiping a few stray tears from his eyes. Blaine's practically beaming with pride.

  
"I've also done a lot of thinking. Remember when I said I was questioning everything when you first came here?" He's smiling now and Blaine doesn't think anything could get him to stop.

  
"Of course," Blaine nods quickly.

  
"I think I'm bi. I mean, I loved Miles. I really did, and I don't mean in the brother way. I really did want a relationship with him. It's not like that was the first time either I just thought it was normal. I thought everyone got feelings like that, but they don't. I'm not gay though. I've had girlfriends before and I enjoyed kissing them. I enjoyed fooling around with them. It took me forever to figure this out, but I feel so fucking relieved that I have now and I can just live again, you know? I wanted you to be the first person to know, because I know you get it."

  
"I'm so happy that you figured this out, Lincoln. This is a really hard thing to come to terms with and I'm so honored to be the first to know. This is a big deal for some people. Everything you're feeling is normal. This doesn't make you weird or wrong, don't let anyone tell you that, alright?"

  
Lincoln nods his head along with Blaine's, his smile fading, but the happiness still remained in his eyes.

  
"Thank you, Blaine."

  
"For what?"

  
"For everything. For being an amazing friend and person, even when you didn't have to be. For being the one person I knew I could talk to. Just-thank you," He shrugs.

  
"Awe," Blaine smiles, pulling him in for another hug, patting his back and squeezing him. "You've been amazing too. You really have. I hated cancer, I think we both do, but I'm so glad I got to meet such amazing people through this journey. Especially you guys in support group."

  
"And to think, you hated us at the beginning," Lincoln teases when they pull back, making Blaine playfully roll his eyes.

  
"I don't think you guys liked me very much either," He replies, his smile still showing on his features. Lincoln laughs, hanging his head in amusement.

  
"To be honest, I thought you were kind of a private school prick," Lincoln shrugs, making Blaine shake his head, chuckling.

  
"Well, I did go to a private school, but Dalton wasn't that bad," He shrugs, crossing his arms over his chest.

  
"I also thought you were kind of a prick, but after Miles died, you came and talked to me, made sure I was okay, and I knew that I misjudged you. I didn't give you a good enough chance."

  
"Well, thank you?" He scrunches his brows, to which Lincoln nods.

  
"You're welcome," he shrugs. He looks around the room a little bit. "So, when you leaving us?"

  
"Four days," Blaine says, looking around too.

  
For some reason, he'll miss this room. He will not miss the cold breeze, the uncomfortable mattress, the way he can't take showers for more then ten minutes before the water turns cold, the loud noises at night, or the busy hall, even in the middle of the night. Hell no. He will miss the way his friends are just down the hall, the way he could lie around all day, the ambience and familiarity of the room though. This has been his home for the last eleven months, of course he'll miss some parts. He is human after all.

 

  
"You moving in with Kurt?" He asks looking back to the boy.  
"No, I was going to, but things changed and I'm now moving in with Damien and Marcus," He sighs heavily.   
"Are you and Kurt breaking up?"

  
"Hell no," Blaine scoffs, shaking his head. "No, I don't think we ever will," he adds. Lincoln smiles. "I just want to be normal. A normal relationship. I can't do that if we're living in the same house. I'll also just miss them too much," He sounded needy. I knows it, but he could care less. "Are you going back home after all of this?"

  
"Hell no," Lincoln mimics, making Blaine chuckle. "No, I'm moving in with my brother."

 

  
"That's good, Lincoln. Really good," Blaine smiles. Lincoln nods his head, clearly agreeing.

  
"Well, I have another chemo round in a few minutes and if I'm not in my room, they'll send out search party, so I'll see you later."

  
I'll see you later

  
His words made Blaine's smile grow and his shoulders relax. They would see each other again. There was no doubt about that. Blaine would make sure of it.  
"Sounds awesome. I'll see you in a week or so," Blaine promises.

  
"Blaine you don't have to do that. I know how much you hate it here."

 

"No, I want to. It'll be weird not having you around, so of course I'll come see you," He replies, patting his arm. Lincoln smiles.

  
"Sounds good," He replies instead, giving him one more smile before starting for the door.

  
"Wait," Blaine says. The boy obeys and turns around expectantly. Blaine takes the few steps separating them and wraps him in another hug.

  
"Awe, someone is getting sappy," Lincoln teases, patting his back.

  
"Shut up and hug me, you prick," Blaine jokes, making the boy laugh and squeeze back. "I'll miss you guys."

  
"We'll miss you too," Lincoln replies, finally pulling back from the long hug. With that, he turns back around and leaves Blaine alone, turning down the hallway.

  
Blaine wasn't alone for long though, soon Kurt was replacing Lincoln's spot in the doorway, carrying a couple more boxes to fill with Blaine's things.

  
"Hey, Baby," Kurt smiles, greeting his said boyfriend with a chaste kiss.

  
"Hey," Blaine smiles, fear returning to his heart. He needed to tell Kurt. Now. Otherwise, he would lose all courage and wouldn't do it at all. Kurt sets the empty boxes beside the bed and rests his hands on his hips.

  
"Where do you want to start?" He asks cheerfully, looking around the room, his brain already moving to the next thing.

  
"Can we talk first?" His boyfriend asks, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Kurt's face falls, nodding slowly. If the serious and worried look on Blaine's face was anything to go by, he should be worried.

  
"Yeah, of course. What's wrong?" The couple moves to the couch, sitting beside each other like normal.

  
"Nothing. Nothing's wrong. I just-I've been thinking," Blaine says, turning so he's facing his other half, taking both his hands in his own and squeezing tightly. More so he can't just run away because that was the last thing he wanted.

  
"That is never a good start to conversation," Kurt says wearily, searching for Blaine's something in Blaine's eyes. "Are you breaking up with me?"

  
"No! No, no, no. Never," Blaine shakes his head quickly. "I love you. I always will," He adds quickly, squeezing his hands tightly within his own. Kurt's shoulders relax slightly.   
"Okay, then what's wrong?"

  
"Well, you know I'm moving out in a few days and I've been thinking a lot," He trails off, trying thing of how to break this to him nicely without starting a fight.

  
"Blaine, spit it out," Kurt replies, scrunching his brows together.

  
"I'm moving in with Damien and Marcus," He blurts. In an instant, Kurt is pulling his hands back. "Kurt, wait, don't do this. Let me explain. I-"

  
"Why?"

  
"I don't know. I just-" He sucks in a deep breath. He didn't want to say something stupid or let it be taken out of context and end up hurting his boyfriend. "It's not that I don't want to move in with you, because I do. Eventually, I do. I'm not saying I'm not ready for a life with you either, because I am, just not as your roommate. I want to do it as your boyfriend."

  
"What do you mean? How else would you be moving in? What? I can't believe this. After all we've done for you," Kurt scoffs, getting to his feet and starting for the door. Clearly, Blaine's explanation was not good enough.

  
"Kurt, don't you dare walk out that door, please," Blaine warns. Kurt stops in his tracks, taking a deep breath. He could tell by the tone of Blaine's voice that he was serious and he wasn't kidding around anymore. "Please, don't. I'm not going to fight with you about this. I just want to talk, Kurt. Please," He begs. Slowly, Kurt turns back around, but doesn't make a move to get closer to him.

  
"Explain," he sighs, nodding towards the boy, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. Blaine breathes a sigh of relief, getting to his feet as well. Which was really just to give him time to think.

  
"Let's say I move in. We'll live under the same roof, yeah, but down the hall from each other. Does that sound like moving in as a couple? As my boyfriend? It sounds like that's how you and Finn are."

  
Kurt doesn't say anything. He just looks down at the floor, flicking his tongue over his teeth. Blaine took it as an invitation to continue talking.

  
"I know how much you've done for me and I am so grateful for it. I can't explain to you how truly grateful I am. I always will be. I don't want to put more burden on your parents either. They've done so much for me, I can't expect them to do this too. I just can't, Kurt."

  
"I didn't mean it like that," Kurt says softly.

  
"I know you didn't," Blaine nods. Kurt looks down at his feet, not saying anything else, so Blaine starts talking again.

  
"I love you and I will always love you. This isn't me asking for a break up, this isn't me asking for space, this is just me making sure our relationship goes as planned, just as we want it and it stays healthy," Blaine says, moving so he can take both of Kurt's crossed hands into his own and squeeze tightly.

  
"Okay," Kurt swallows, making Blaine's shoulders relax.

  
"Alright," Blaine smiles.

  
"Are they close? Like, do they live closer to Lima?" Kurt asks, moving a bit more towards his boyfriend. Blaine nods his head slowly.

  
"Only by like ten minutes, but yeah. They do. We'll still have our morning dates at the Lima Bean and still go on with our senior year like normal."

  
"You're going to McKinley still?"

  
"Of course."

  
"I can still see you whenever?"

  
"Just say the words."

  
"Okay," Kurt nods, moving forward to press a soft kiss to his lips, which Blaine graciously accepts. "I love you too, by the way," He adds, allowing Blaine to pull him in for a tight, very needed hug, his head resting on his shoulder.

 

"So I hear," Blaine teases, pressing another soft kiss to the top of his perfectly styled hair.

  
"I'll tell my dad. He won't be mad," Kurt assures him, his voice slightly muffled by Blaine's sweater.

  
"Are you sure?"

  
"I'm one hundred percent sure. I don't think he could be mad at you. You're like a third son to him and he loves you a lot."

  
"Thank you."

  
"Anything for you," Kurt says, pulling back so he can place a real kiss onto Blaine's awaiting lips.

  
"Let's get some of your room packed, alright?" Kurt smiles, making Blaine nod.

  
"Yeah, sounds good," Blaine grins, never breaking eye contact with the boy in front of him.

  
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Kurt scoffs, his cheeks starting to turn a light shade of pink.

  
"I'm just trying to figure what I did to deserve you," He shrugs. Kurt chuckles, shaking his head. "I'm serious. You're amazing, Kurt. More than I could ever ask for. You're just-I just love you so much. More than I could ever love anything else in my life."

  
"Blaine, that's incredibly cheesy."

  
"Aren't we incredibly cheesy?" Blaine teases, making Kurt playfully roll his eyes, but still accept the kiss Blaine gave him. "I wouldn't change that for the world."

  
"Me neither," Kurt shrugs, kissing him one more time before pulling back. "Alright, come on. We need to work on your room. You're moving out in a days."

  
"Right."

  
That's what they did. Kurt started taking down the higher decorations, because there was no way Blaine was getting on a stool, and Blaine started to take extra blankets, books and DVDs, packing them up in the boxes that Kurt had brought with him.

  
They worked together for almost an hour before Blaine knew he needed to take a break. His abdomen was starting to hurt, so he opted for sitting down on the couch, his boyfriend soon joining him, not even wasting time before he was pressing his lips against his boyfriend's.

  
"I can't wait to do that outside of these walls," Kurt smiles.

  
"Without being interrupted by a nurse or a doctor. It sounds magical," Blaine teases, his legs in Kurt's lap and their foreheads pressed against each other's.

  
As if the world was against them, someone started to knock on Blaine's door. Blaine hangs his head down.

  
"Come in," He calls, lifting his legs from Kurt lap, but still sitting beside him. He expected to see Damien or Dr. Thomas walk in, but instead a lady walked in that he's never seen before in his life.

  
She looked to be in her mid fifties and if it wasn't for the slightly wrinkled, dark skin, they wouldn't have guessed. Her hair was still a shiny black and cut into a nice bob. Her makeup was applied nicely, with nude colors, and a bright lip. She looked very official with her pearl necklace and almost full suit and heels. The woman carried a clipboard under her arm and had a bag on her shoulder.

  
"Hi," Blaine greets, looking to his boyfriend with confusion.

  
"Hello. I'm Dr. Jacobs. Dr. Thomas sent me over to talk about your new diet," She says, walking in the room and pulling up a chair on her way.

  
"Oh my God. I totally forgot that was happening today. Sorry, I'm in the process of moving out," He says, looking around nervously at the slightly messy room.

  
"It's fine. You're Blaine then?"

  
"Yes! This is my boyfriend, Kurt," Blaine says, gesturing towards the said counter tenor. Kurt smiles and the woman smiles back.

  
"Okay, so I'm just going to go over a few new diet things. Some of them you've probably already heard, but I'm going to give you this sheet, it has all of the instructions and diet plans for the next few weeks," She instructs, pulling out a small packet of papers from her bag and handing it to the boy.

  
Blaine nods looking it over nervously. There were a lot of guidelines on here.

  
"The first thing you should know, is how to eat now. You should be eating around six times a day and you have to chew your food thoroughly and slowly. A lot of times, you should probably chew each bite for around twenty seconds."

  
That sounded absurd. Like he was going count how long he ate something. It sounded ridiculous.

  
"I know, it sounds ridiculous," She says seeing Blaine's confused expression. "But, it helps. Don't drink more than four ounces of liquid with each meal and it should be water, because carbonation and acidic liquids can fill you up too much and the acid won't help with the healing process. If you are going to drink anything more than four ounces, make sure that it's an hour before or after a meal, to make sure you can fill yourself and get the nutrients you need. You should still be getting the normal eight to ten ounces of water though. Just make sure you pace yourself with it."

  
"Is it going to be like this forever?" Blaine asks, looking at the long list of "Do Not Eat" on the paper she gave him.

  
"No, the longer you have this new stomach, the more it will eventually expand and within a year or so, your diet will go back to normal. You'll have to have patience though. These things don't just happen in a day."

  
"Okay," Blaine nods along with her, while Kurt took the paper from his boyfriend's grasp and started to look over it.

  
"With sweets, you need to test yourself. See what works for you, but do it in small bits. Don't have an entire chocolate bar and instead just have a square. The sweets may move too fast inside your system because of the water, but some things may work. It just depends on what's good for you. It's the same thing with fats, but the other way around there may be some trouble digesting it at all. It may give you stomach cramps," She explains, using her hands while she talked, showing off her manicured hands. "There's a list on there of the fats and sweets you should stay away from at first." She points down at the paper Kurt was holding and Blaine sighed heavily. There were a lot of things on that list.

  
Butter, margarine, oils, mayonnaise, salad dressings, cream cheese, gravies, potato chips, corn chips, rich desserts, and fried foods. That was just the beginning. The list was a lot longer than that.

  
"Next, you may have become lactose intolerant. It's a small chance, but it's still chance. For some people, your new stomach does not like it at all, so it will just cause stomach cramps. So bring dairy products slowly back into your diet. Give it a couple more weeks or so before you start eating them again. You also should be eating things with high nutrients. Your stomach isn't big so you need as much as you can get, so watch labels now and make sure you'll get what you need."

  
"I'm moving in a with a nurse, so that shouldn't be a problem," Blaine chuckles lightly, making Dr. Jacobs smile.

  
"Good. I'm sure they'll help with your new diet quite nicely. Now, there are some things you should be looking out for though."

  
"Like what?" Blaine snaps his head up, giving her a confused look.

  
"Well, first is low blood sugar. Before you leave, your doctor will give you a small needle called a lancet. It's the same thing diabetics use. You'll have to check your blood pressure after sugary meals and quite regularly to make sure it doesn't get too low. If it gets too low, you may have to come back to the hospital for them to fix you up. Another thing are high calorie supplements. If you just aren't getting enough food, your doctor will prescribe them and it should fix the problem rather quickly. If things don't go as smoothly with your diet, your doctor may suggest coming in for a monthly shot of B12 and put you on some vitamin and mineral supplements. If just depends how all of this goes."

  
"That sounds like a pain in the ass," Blaine mumbles, making Kurt nudge him in the arm. Dr. Jacobs chuckles a little.

  
"Yes, it can be, but eventually it will be worth it and you won't even phase you anymore. You'll get used to it and I'm sure the nurse you're moving in will take good care of you and make sure you're doing what you need to be doing."

  
"Yeah, he will," Blaine sighs heavily.

  
"So will I," Kurt remarks, looking up briefly from the diet packet and to his boyfriend. Blaine smiles shyly, moving to put a hand on his knee and squeezing gently. Dr. Jacobs doesn't say anything about it.

  
"Now, if you start losing weight or can't put on weight, you need to tell someone. That can be really dangerous."

  
"Yeah, you already passed out at dinner before. Don't do it again," Kurt says, looking at Blaine with one raised eyebrow. Blaine nods gently, agreeing with that. That was honestly terrifying and he knows it was horrible for Cooper and Kurt too.

  
"I will," He assures the both of them.

  
"Good. That's all I have for you. Do you have any questions for me?" She asks, smiling brightly.

  
"No, I don't think I do," Blaine replies, shaking his head. She nods in response.

  
"Well, it was nice meeting you. I'll leave you with my card and if you have any questions, don't be afraid to call." She pulls out a small, purple, business card, which Blaine takes, nodding his head.

  
"Thank you. It was nice to meet you too," He says politely.

  
"Alright, congratulations on moving out and I'll tell Dr. Thomas I stopped by. Have a great day." With that, the nice lady leaves the pair alone again, making sure to shut the door behind her.

  
"This seems like it's going to suck," Blaine groans, leaning back against the couch cushions.

  
"It will," Kurt nods, setting the packet aside and squeezing his boyfriend's knee.

  
"Well, I don't foresee anymore doctor visits, so can we pick up where we left off?" Blaine grins, tugging on Kurt's arm. Kurt playfully rolls his eyes, but leans forward, capturing his lips in for a kiss, his hand settling at his side.

 

-0-

 

It was the day. It was the last day. The last day in the hospital. In just under a few hours, Blaine would be in his own bedroom with Marcus and Damien just down the hall. It all seemed surreal. He's spent the last eleven months in this hospital room. It's seen him at his best and at his worst. Now, he was leaving it all behind.

  
"How do you feel?" Kurt asks, sighing heavily and walking towards his boyfriend, who was looking around the now almost empty hospital room. It looked bare. It looked like no one has ever stepped foot in it. The sheets have been stripped, decorations taken down, and all of Blaine's belongings have been packed in boxes and all but one have been put inside either Damien's car or Kurt's car.

  
"I don't know," Blaine chuckles lightly, making Kurt smile and open his arms. Of course, Blaine falls into them, wrapping his arms around Kurt's waist and resting his head on his shoulder. "It's just so weird," He adds.

  
"Well, I'm really, really happy," Kurt says, rubbing his back lovingly. "I'm really happy that you're leaving and things can go back to normal and that we can have normal dates and that we can go to New York, and that we won't have to worry so much all the time. I'm really happy," He finishes, sucking in a deep breath. Blaine pulls back, but just enough to make eye contact with his boyfriend.

  
"I am too," He says, a small smile grazing his features. They stare for a few seconds, just holding each other and staring before Blaine leans forward, capturing Kurt's lips in for a kiss. Kurt furrows his brows and Blaine sucks in a breath through the kiss, gripping at Kurt's hips.

  
By the time they pull back, both of their lips are red and swollen, their breathes heavy.

  
"I love you," Blaine breathes, rubbing at Kurt's sides.

  
"I love you too," Kurt agrees, pressing another chaste kiss to his lips.

  
"Alright! Enough of the sappy shit!" Cooper claps his hands together as he walks into the room. "We gave you a good ten minutes, but we need to get going soon."

  
"Right," Blaine nods, pulling back from Kurt and putting his hands on his hips. Soon, Marcus, Damien, and Burt are following, with Thomas resting on Marcus's hip.

  
"I can't wait to get out of here," Blaine admits, shaking his head.

  
"I can't wait for you to be out of here. This place is depressing," Cooper replies, wrapping an arm around his brother's shoulders. "No offense," he says, looking to Damien, who just shakes his head and chuckles a bit.

  
"I'm so excited to leave," Blaine smiles, one arm wrapping around Kurt's waist, rubbing at the small of his back. "To go home, get back on a normal schedule, then go to New York, then to my senior year. I'm so excited." Kurt smiles, leaning over to press a kiss to his temple.

  
"Before you leave, I bought you something. You too, Kurt," Cooper announces. "And I want pictures," He adds. Blaine and Kurt exchange a look while Cooper walks out the door, reaches behind it and coming back with a shopping bag.

  
"Cooper, what did you do?" Blaine asks furrowing his brows together.

  
"Calm down. Stop acting like I'm giving you cocaine and take the present," He jokes, pulling out a pale purple t-shirt and handing it to his little brother. Blaine takes it hesitantly.

  
"Don't unfold it until Kurt gets his," Cooper says, handing another light purple shirt to the said counter tenor. Kurt takes the gift in his hands, and the couple exchange a look.

  
"Alright, you can look now," Cooper drops the bag, a happy smile on his face as he crosses his arms over his chest and waits for the couple to look. Blaine unfolds his first, reavealing white lettering that read "I kicked cancer's ass". The boy laughs.

  
"Wow, Cooper. Just when I thought you couldn't get me any more cheesy cancer shirts," His brother laughs, shaking his head.

  
"Never underestimate me. Now, Kurt, open yours," Cooper smiles, nodding towards the other half of the couple. Kurt does as he's told, revealing the white lettering of "I helped him get there".

  
"This is the cheesiest thing I have ever seen in my life," Kurt remarks, showing it off the others, who just smile and laugh.

  
"Yup, that's kind of the point, Hummel. Now, go put them on so we can take some pictures," Cooper orders, a large grin on his face.

  
Reluctantly, the pair both leave to the en suite bathroom, quickly changing into the new shirts.

  
When they come out, Kurt rolls his eyes.

  
"Do you realize how cheesy and stupid this is?" Kurt asks the actor, who nods his head.

  
"Yes, I do and yet I still think it's a good idea," Cooper shrugs, pulling out his phone for a few pictures. Kurt rolls his eyes again and crosses his arms over his chest.

  
"Humor him," Blaine smiles, pressing a soft kiss to Kurt's cheek, who just sighs heavily and nods.

  
"Alright, alright."

  
"Stand against that wall. Blaine, you're first, and I want a few of you. Mostly to shove them in mom's face, that you did it without them, but whatever," Cooper shrugs, going back to the shopping bag once more and pulling out a small, white poster board.

  
"If that says something stupid, I'm not holding that," Blaine says, standing against the white wall as instructed.

  
"No. It doesn't," His brother promises, passing the sign to the boy. Blaine reads it over quickly, before smiling. Yes, this was perfect. This was okay.

  
"Alright, take the pictures," Blaine shrugs, holding the sign to his left side with one hand, making sure his shirt is visibly, and putting a thumbs up, a bright smile on his face as Cooper snaps the photo.

  
Kurt just about cries. It wasn't because he was sad, no, it was because he was proud and happy. Truly happy because this was it. This was the goodbye to the past year of their lives. It's all over and seeing Blaine smile brightly again, looking stronger than he has in the past year.

  
Damien sees this and pulls him in for a side hug, pulling him close. Kurt smiles gratefully while Cooper took a few more photos.

  
"It's crazy," Kurt says softly, wiping at his eyes. Damien chuckles lightly.

  
"Yeah, it is. Surreal, but exciting," he agrees. Kurt nods, smiling wider as Burt took the phone willingly taking a few pictures of the two brothers. Blaine looks over to the pair, seeing the pride in both their eyes.

  
"Kurt, come on," Blaine opens his arms for the boy, while Cooper takes his phone back. Kurt happily walks over, posing for a few more photos. A few showing off their new shirts and some just of them kissing or hugging. He honestly can't wait to look through them later and add them to his project.

  
"I love you," Blaine whispers, their noses touching, with one of Kurt's arms wrapped around his shoulder and the other laying across Blaine's chest. Kurt's smile fades slightly.  
"I love you too, B," He whispers right back, just as Cooper took another photo, right before their lips touched for a chaste kiss.

  
"Okay, before this is rated 'R', and you scar all of us, let's get out of here," Cooper says, stuffing his phone back into his pocket. The couple roll their eyes, but by the look on Burt's face, it was probably a good thing they stopped.

  
"Let's go home then," Blaine smile's squeezing Kurt's side carefully. Kurt nods, pecking his lips once more.

  
"Let us change our shirts first," Kurt says, as Blaine laces their fingers together and they start for the bathroom.

  
"Um, no. I paid like twenty bucks each for those shirts. You're wearing them all day today and at least once a week," Cooper argues, making both of them roll their eyes.

  
"Alright, alright. Then let's get going," Blaine replies, shaking his head at his brother's words. Kurt hurries to the bathroom, grabbing their discarded shirts and letting them hang over his arm.

  
"Awe! My baby brother's going home!" Cooper cheers, pulling his said little brother into a head lock, rubbing his head.

  
"Cooper! Let me go!" Blaine tries, which doesn't work until Cooper wants to give up, which is after a few good nuggies. Blaine rolls his eyes, falling back in the group, with Damien and Marcus leading them out, Thomas still on Marcus's hip.

  
Kurt laces his fingers with his boyfriend's, a bright smile on his face. As soon as they start out the door and past the nurse's station, someone is calling after them.

  
"I know that you're not leaving this place without giving me hug." At the familiar voice, Blaine smiles, spinning on his heels. As expected, Molly was behind them, her hands on her hips and her lips pursed.

  
"How could I forget?" He teases, releasing Kurt's hand to allow the nurse to wrap him in a tight hug, which she was famous for.

  
"You're gonna do great things, Sweetie," She says, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Blaine smiles, sighing with content in her arms.

  
"Thank you, Molly," He says softly.

  
"Of course, Honey," she adds, finally letting him go. As he laces his fingers with Kurt's again, and they start out, she's calling back to them.

  
"We'll miss you and we love you, Baby!" He turns around to see her blowing him kisses, which of course he catches on his way out, returning a few of his own.

  
"Love you guys too!" He says, just as they turn the corner to the exit.

  
Blaine stops as soon as the door comes into sight. Everyone else continues on through the sliding doors, too preoccupied to notice Blaine tugging on Kurt's hand. Kurt turns around, turning to his boyfriend with concern written on his face.

  
"What's wrong?" He asks, scrunching his brows together. Blaine looked like he was about to cry. It was not the same happy boy Kurt saw taking pictures just a few minutes ago. His hazel eyes were welling up with tears and he was taking in deep breaths.

  
"Holy shit," Blaine scoffs, one of the tears rolling down his cheek that was soon to be filling out again. Kurt manages a small smile.

  
"Yeah." He squeezes the former Warbler's hand tightly.

  
"This is really happening. I'll never have to come in here again, will I?"

 

"Hopefully," Kurt says, searching his boyfriend's eyes. Blaine starts to smile then, his lips slowly turning upwards. "Are you ready for that?"

  
"Hell yes," He chuckles, making Kurt do the same.

  
"Come on then," Kurt motions towards the door with his head, tugging his hand. Blaine nods his head, squeezing his pale hand like his life depended on it, and took the last few steps out the door and into the parking lot. He smacks a hand over his mouth when he hits the fresh air, to stop a sob from coming out.

  
"It's over. It's all over," He cries, his shoulders shaking with happy tears. Kurt smiles brightly, tugging on Blaine's hand until the boy was against his side.

  
"It is, Baby," Kurt smiles, rubbing his arm and kissing the top of his head carefully.

  
"This sounds so weird, but I feel like I just got out of prison," He scoffs, causing Kurt to burst out laughing, both of them still at the entrance, holding each other.  
"It kind of is like that," He replies, pressing a soft kiss to the top of the boy's head. Blaine laughs, shaking his head.

  
"Take me home. I want to sing in the car like old times," Blaine sniffles, lifting his head from Kurt's side to kiss his lips chastely. Kurt smiles and nods his head.  
"Sounds wonderful," He remarks, pulling out his keys and starting for his car.

  
Just as they approach the cars, Marcus is getting Thomas in his car seat and the other three are talking.

  
"We were just saying that we'd lead you back to the house. You can guys see where he's staying if you want," Damien smiles at the group.

  
"Sounds awesome," Cooper smiles brightly. He looked genuinely happy for the first time in a long time. It wasn't the usual, funny demeanor. It was real. Very real and sincere.

  
"Cooper, you can ride with me. I got some room in the truck for you," Burt offers, pulling out his own set of keys.

  
"I'll take Blaine," Kurt says quickly.

  
"We didn't expecting anything else," Marcus teases with a smile and the wink of his eye. Kurt chuckles lightly, as Burt and Cooper disappear to his dad's pickup truck and Marcus and Damien get into their Subaru. Blaine climbs into Kurt's passenger side and Kurt gets into the driver's side.

  
As promised, Damien and Marcus lead them out of the parking lot and onto the highway. Instantly, one of Blaine's hands reach across the center console to link with Kurt's and the other goes to play with the radio, switching between different stations.

  
"Pick something good," Kurt says, his free hand gripping the steering wheel, watching the 'Love Won' sticker on the back of Marcus and Damien's Subaru while he drove, thinking only about that being Blaine and himself when they get to be that age.

  
"Of course," Blaine sighs with a smile, flipping through a few different songs before he found one that made him gasp loudly. Kurt jumps slightly at the loud noise, but chuckles when he hears the song being played, luckily catching it at the beginning.

  
_Come away with me in the night_   
_Come away with me_   
_And I will write you a song_

  
Blaine's the one that sings first, turning in his seat to look directly at his long-term, perfect boyfriend. Of course, Kurt's cheek start to turn a rosey pink, which was Blaine's true intentions. He loved it when Kurt would get all flustered. He was adorable.

  
_Come away with me on a bus_   
_Come away where they can't tempt us, with their lies_

  
Kurt takes the next piece, still watching the road while his mouth moved and the lovely notes came from his thin, kissable lips. Blaine squeezes his hand tightly, watching him as he sang.

_And I want to walk with you_   
_On a cloudy day_   
_In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high_   
_So won't you try to come_

  
Blaine joins him, and like always, they fit perfectly, matching in an amazing harmony, that always sent shivers down his spine.

_Come away with me and we'll kiss_   
_On a mountaintop_   
_Come away with me_   
_And I'll never stop loving you_

  
At this point, Kurt had a few tears rolling down his cheeks, But Blaine just kissed the back of his hand between words. He knew they weren't sad tears. He hopes they weren't anyway.

_And I want to wake up with the rain_   
_Falling on a tin roof_

  
Blaine watches him carefully while they sing together, leaning over to rest his cheek against his shoulder, his eyes shut tight while they sang together, Kurt sniffling every once in awhile in a poor attempt to keep the tears at bay.

_While I'm safe there in your arms_   
_So all I ask is for you_   
_To come away with me in the night_   
_Come away with me_

  
They hold the last note a little longer, but neither cared. It still sounded just a beautiful at the rest of the song. As the radio presenter starts to go on about the weather report, Blaine sits back in his seat.

  
"Baby why are you-"

  
"I thought you were gonna die, Blaine. I had convinced myself that you were gonna die," He scoffs, gripping the steering wheel tightly with one hand and Blaine's own hand with his other. Blaine visibly deflates. Those were not happy tears. "I was scared that I had found the one person who could love me, and now he was leaving me. It was terrifying, Blaine. I thought you were going to leave me," He admits, shaking his head at the thought.

  
"Never," Blaine promises, kissing the back of his white knuckles, his lips lingering over the pale skin. Kurt shakes his head again.

  
"God I hope not. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you. Don't ever scare me like that again, please. This past year has been spent doing a lot of crying and I'm so sick of crying. I just want to be happy again. With you."

  
"We will be. I promise. As soon as I can get my shit together again, we'll be the happiest people in the world, okay?" Blaine chuckles when Kurt smiles at his words, shaking his head once more. "I'm being serious. You will never lose me and we will be happy." Kurt sniffles, pulling his hand back from Blaine's to wipe at his eyes. Blaine smiles, leaning over to press a quick kiss to his cheek, causing Kurt's smile to widen.

  
"I love you."

  
"I love you too, Blaine. So much."

  
The rest of the ride, they agree to only listen to happy songs, because neither of them wanted to cry again. So, that's what they did. They burst out into different P!nk and Katy Perry songs, throwing in a few Broadway ones as well until Damien and Marcus pulled into a driveway.

  
It was a cute house. It was two stories, with a cute, soft yellow paint job, matching the white doors, windows and trim. There was even a small garage to go with it, making it the definition of a family home. Almost all of the houses in the neighborhood were like that, all of them having some kind of children toy out front, just like this one. Thomas clearly had like playing with the normal yellow and red play car and a couple of other toys lying on the porch and the front yard.

  
One of the men seemed to like landscaping too because the shrubs seperating the house's were well kept and a few different flowers were planted in pots and in the ground, giving it a homey look. There was also a tall oak tree in front of the porch, with a tire swinging hanging from one of the branches. The tree shaded the house a little, making it look cozy.

  
It was far from what Blaine grew up with. He grew up with a three story house, not including the basement, and one of the closet's seemed to be the same size as a small bedroom. Yes, it was nice at times, like for when he wanted to avoid his parents, but it wasn't great to grow up with. It took ages for his mother or brother to hear him crying and it always felt cold. Blaine could already tell from looking on the outside that the house inside would be a home and not just a house he would be living in.  
Kurt pulled in behind the homeowners, putting the car in park.

  
"I think I'm gonna like it here," Blaine smiles, looking out his window in awe.

  
"I think so too," Kurt agrees, reaching over to squeeze his hand briefly before getting out. Blaine wasn't far behind him.

  
"This is it," Damien smiles, helping his son out from his car seat.

  
"It looks great," Blaine says, linking his hand with Kurt's, as always and following Marcus into the house.

  
"Come on," He says, using his key to get into the house, pulling open the front door. The younger couple follows him up the porch steps and into the house. It led straight into the living room, with the kitchen just in sight through the large window sized hole in the wall at the breakfast bar. Beside the bar was the swinging door and beside that door was an archway, leading to what look to be the dining room.

  
The house was done in all warm colors. Browns, yellows, reds, and oranges, making the house seem friendly and cozy. It reminded Blaine a lot of Kurt's house.

  
"This is the living room. You can see the kitchen through the breakfast bar window and the dining room is beside it," Marcus says, setting his keys in the bowl beside the door, along with a few other sets.

  
"It's a little messy, but we figured we shouldn't false advertise," Marcus teases. It was hardly messy. There were of course a few stray toys and a couple of little boy clothing pieces laying across the back of the couch, but that was to be expected with a five year old.

  
"No, it's fine, really," Blaine assures him. Marcus smiles.

  
"Come on. I'll show you to your room," The therapist offers, leading the two boys up the carpeted staircase and up to a short hallway. There was children's room on the left and a bathroom beside that. The master was to his right, guessing by the way it looked so lived in, but Marcus led them to the end of the hall and to the right. He opened up the light wood door, revealing a small bedroom.

  
A full sized bed was right in the middle, with a red and grey striped comforter set, already with a set of pillows. On either side of it, there were two end tables, with a pair of red shaded lamps on both of them. There was a closet to the left, which had been recently cleaned out, and a dark wood vanity beside it, empty and ready to be used. To add to that, on the far right corner, there was a door, leading to what Blaine guessed to be an en suite bathroom. Finally, a keyboard was in the left corner, waiting to be played.

  
"We didn't know what color schemed you wanted, but we figured you wouldn't complain too much," Marcus replies.

  
"It's fine. It's more than fine," Blaine says, squeezing Kurt's hand tightly.

  
"It's not much, but-"

  
"It's perfect. Thank you," Blaine chuckles, attacking Marcus with a tight hug. Marcus hugs him back, squeezing him.

  
"Of course. It's no problem, really," He says, rubbing his shoulder blade. When they pull back, Marcus nods towards the keyboard. "When my uncle passed away a few years ago, he left me that. I never learned how to play, but we know you can play, so we figured we'd let you have it."

  
"It's too much," Blaine shakes his head, setting his hands on his hips. He meant it. They've done so much for him already. They bought an entire bedroom worth of furniture for Christ's sake.

  
"No, it's not. It's just what you need and we're happy to give it to you," the therapist promises.

  
"No, you guys could have used this for another child. You could have adopted again. I'm sure Thomas wants another sibling. I-"

  
"Blaine, you are the other child," Damien says, making everyone turn to the doorway, where the other three men were, with Thomas at their feet. "You're the sibling Thomas has now," He chuckles. Blaine can't help it, he lets out a sob mixed with a laugh.

  
"Oh my God," He cries, practically falling into Damien's arms. Damien laughs, holding him close to his chest. "You guys are way too good to me. I do not deserve this," He adds, finally pulling back.

  
"No, you deserve all of this," Damien promises, pulling back to look him in the eyes. Slowly and reluctantly, Blaine nods. Blaine looks down when he feels a small hand tugging on his pant leg.

  
"Are you living with us now?" Thomas asks, looking down shyly at the floor. Blaine smiles, bending down to be eye level with him. He puts his hands on either side of him.

  
"Yeah, I am. I'll be here for a while," Blaine promises. Thomas cheers, wrapping his arms around Blaine's neck. The room awe's and Blaine pulls him close until he wants to wiggle out.

  
"We'll start getting those boxes up here," Marcus says, nodding towards Damien in the doorway. His husband nods and Burt, Damien, and Marcus all head out the door.

  
"It's good to know you're in good hands," Cooper says once Blaine's on his feet again.

  
"It is," Kurt agrees.

  
"Yeah, I agree," Blaine smiles.

  
"Come here, Kiddo," Cooper opens his arms, his own tears starting to fall.

  
"Awe, Cooper is getting all sappy," Blaine teases, accepting the hug from his brother.

  
"I'm gonna miss you so much, Blaine, but I just want you to be happy," He chuckles, rubbing his shoulder.

  
"I am happy, Coop," Blaine promises, his face rubbing against his leather jacket. Cooper nods. Blaine starts to break the embrace, but Cooper stops him.

  
"Just a few more seconds," he says, holding him tighter. Blaine laughs, but obliges. Cooper hugs him tightly, rubbing his shoulders, while Kurt looked around the room a bit, getting used to it.

  
Eventually, Cooper does let him go, but only to wipe at his eyes and get rid of the tears making his cheeks wet. Blaine smiles up at him, letting out a soft chuckle, to which Cooper follows. Just as they break up, Burt and Damien are coming into the room carrying a few boxes.

  
"Make it yours," Damien says, setting on of the boxes down on the dresser and looking to Blaine. The said boy nods, looking around the room. It was smaller than his old room, but a little bigger than the hospital room. He didn't care how big it was though, because it was his and he was safe here.

  
His dad wasn't downstairs drinking the night away or in bed sleeping off a hangover. His mom wasn't sitting at the dining room table or leaning over the counter, drinking a glass of red wine. He was with Damien and Marcus, who loved him unconditionally and cared about him, unlike his own parents. Hopefully, he'd never have to worry about his parents ever again. Hopefully, this would be his happy ending.

  
"I will," Blaine replies softly, starting to look through the first box, while everyone else besides Kurt, went back downstairs to grab the last few boxes. It's not like he had a lot of things anymore.

  
He pulls out on of the few framed pictures of him and Kurt from the box, moving them so they're sitting on the dresser. Kurt started on another box, knowing that Blaine would be okay with that. He's the one that took care of his hospital room anyway.

  
"This is it," Marcus announces, carrying the last couple of boxes, with Burt behind him carrying one of his own.

  
"Thank you guys. Really."

  
"Stop thanking us, Blaine. We'll gladly do it twice," He chuckles, smiling at him. Blaine nods.

  
"We'll let you guys get settled then," Damien offers, looking between the two of them. They both nod at his words, going back to unloading boxes. Cooper stay behind as well, but Damien, Marcus, and Burt all head downstairs, mumbling something about coffee, with Thomas gripping Damien's hand tightly, happily going with his parents.

 

Between the three-well two of them, Cooper just laid on his bed, talking aimlessly about things, they got through the few boxes rather quickly. A lot of his stuff was missing though, considering it was at his old house.

  
"Hey, I still have a key to Mom and Dad's house. They're supposed to be out tonight, so I'll go over and grab the rest of your things," Cooper offers, practically reading his brother's mind.

  
"That'd be great, Coop," Blaine sighs, sitting himself down on the edge of his bed, with Kurt beside him. He looks over at the digital alarm clock at his bedside. 4:56 PM. They're been unpacking for a few hours, but it was done with. There wasn't a lot to unpack anyway.

  
The room was still a bit bare, but after he got his shoe collection, his bow ties, and his guitar in here, it would fill out rather quickly, so he wasn't worried.

  
"I'm so proud of you, Squirt."

  
"I know, Coop." He turns his head to look at his brother, who was still staring at the ceiling, his hands interlocked over his chest.

  
"Yeah," He says softly, his brows furrowed. "I really don't want to leave you," He chuckles, shaking his head.

  
"You don't have to leave yet," Blaine reminds him. Cooper nods his head again, his face falling, still looking up at the popcorn ceiling, memorizing every line. "It's not like it'll be forever either. You can always come see me."

  
"Yeah, I know," Cooper says, finally turning his head to look at the couple above him. "Take care of him, Kurt."

  
"Always," Kurt promises, reaching over to place a hand over his knee and squeezing. Cooper nods, sitting up in his seat and getting to his feet.

  
"So, this is it. This is home for you now," Cooper lets out a deep breath, looking across the dresser to see it covered with the pictures that used to be on Blaine's nightstand back at the hospital. He can't help it, Blaine smiles, looking around the room too.

  
"Yeah, it is. It feels great," he chuckles, his eyes finally landing on his boyfriend.

  
"Don't forget about me, alright? Promise you'll call," Cooper chuckles, turning back to his brother, sniffling back his tears. Blaine snaps his head towards the actor.

  
"Never," He scoffs, "Of course I'll call. I still expect our weekly Skypes and maybe every other day or so phone calls," Blaine smiles, pushing off the bed to wrap his brother in a hug.

  
"Good, because then I'd have to kick your ass, alright?"

 

-0-

 

He's been here for a week. An entire week has been spent living in Damien and Marcus's home. He thought the first night would be scary and he would end up having a nightmare or something, but he didn't. He slept better than he has in a long, long time. It felt good. He felt at home. Comfortable. Safe.

  
Not only were Marcus and Damien amazing, but he's never had a younger brother before, but so far, he loves it. Since Blaine was healing, he was able to play with Thomas like he used to at Christmas and Easter. He couldn't play for too long considering Blaine's stomach would get sore, but they would still play and Blaine's even read him to sleep twice already. Being an older brother was pretty great.

  
Cooper brought over the rest of his things from his old room as promised, and now he still had a few boxes to be unpacked, but those were the least of his concerns right now. He just wanted to heal totally again. For everything to be fixed for his trip to New York.

  
"Blaine!" Damien calls from the bottom of the stairs. At the moment, Blaine was sat at his desk, that Damien and Marcus added earlier in the week, working over his laptop, doing nothing important.

  
"Yeah?" He calls back. It was small moments like this, reminding Blaine that he had a set of parents now and things were more normal than they've ever been.

  
"Kurt's here!" He says.

  
"Okay!" With that, footsteps come up the stairs and soon his lovely, beautiful boyfriend is in his bedroom doorway, his usual satchel across his chest.

  
"Hey," Blaine smiles, spinning in his desk chair to look at him. Kurt sets his bag down on the bed and walks over, bending down to press a soft kiss to his lips.

  
"Hey, what are you up to?" He asks, moving to sit in Blaine's lap. Blaine happily obliges, wrapping his arms around Kurt's waist and resting his head against his boyfriend's temple.

  
"Nothing important. Maybe a little window shopping," He says, nodding towards the open laptop. Kurt rolls his eyes at the sight of a page full of bow ties in all different shapes and sizes.

  
"Of course you are," Kurt chuckles, his arms wrapped loosely around his neck.   
"I didn't know you were coming today."

  
"Yeah, I actually brought you something," Kurt smiles, putting a hand over Blaine's chest. Kurt could tell he was feeling better. His eyes weren't sunken in anymore and his skin wasn't so pale. He looked alive again. Kurt just couldn't wait to see him in a bow tie and chinos again.

  
"Kurt, you did not," Blaine sighs, tilting his head to the side.

  
"Oh, yes, I did. I really did,but I've been working on it for a long time," Kurt lifts himself from Blaine's lap, moving onto Blaine's bed. He opens up his bag, pulling out some kind of book. "Come on," He pats the bedding beside him. Blaine sighs heavily, but pushes off the chair, padding over to his boyfriend, sitting right beside him.

  
He wraps an arm around his waist, tugging him close to his side. Kurt leans into his touch.

  
"So, over the past almost eleven months, I've been collecting pictures and different momentums from your journey," Kurt starts, setting the thick, tan colored scarpbook. In the front picture, there was just a picture of a periwinkle ribbon.

  
"Really?" Blaine scrunches his brows, to which Kurt nods. He slides the book slowly into both of their laps, flipping open the first page.

  
The opening page was just full of a few different stomach cancer things, like the odds and a few ribbons. The former Warbler smiles brightly, looking through the pages.

  
"When was that taken?" Blaine points to a selfie of the two of them. Blaine was passed out, his hair still intact, and Kurt was initiating the selfie, a bright smile on his face.

  
"Your first chemo session," Kurt replies, putting his head on Blaine's shoulder so they can look at the page together.

  
"I didn't even know you took that," Blaine shakes his head, looking through a few more.

  
There was another picture just after Blaine had gotten his head shaved, someone had taken it of them at the park, with them sitting on a bench, Blaine's legs in Kurt's lap and his arms wrapped tightly around his neck, both of them smiling.

  
Another was a picture of Blaine's first night in the hospital, sleeping peacefully. Blaine shakes his head at that picture. He didn't look good. He hated it, but Kurt still smiled.  
The next was another selfie, only this time, it was after Blaine had his feeding tube put in. He was a little dazed, but Kurt still looked happy, kissing his cheek, with his arms around his neck.

"I love that picture," He smiles, running his fingers across the picture.

  
"I have copies of all of these too," Kurt says, kissing his temple gently. Blaine's smile grows.

  
The more he kept flipping, the worse Blaine looked. He just looked sicker and sicker.

  
In one of the pictures, Blaine was with support group, the photo taken by Damien. It had all of them, Sadie and Miles included, even Marcus was on the end. They all looked happy, but Miles, Sadie, and Blaine didn't look healthy.

  
The next picture, was of Cooper and Blaine, both of them looking over Cooper's phone. Blaine doesn't know who took that one, but they were both so concentrated on something on the screen, sat on the couch very close together. It was one of his favorites.

  
One of them were of Sam and Blaine, with their arms wrapped around each other, Blaine having a large smile on, but his skin was sick looking and his feeding tube was still in.   
On the same page, there were pictures of him with the Warblers, then Finn and Rachel, and Puckerman. All of them on different days and times, with some cheesy quote in the corner about family and friends.

  
The page right after that was filled with him and Cooper and pictures of him with Burt and Carole.

  
"This one is really nice," Blaine smiles, looking at the page filled with photos taking on Christmas. One was with him and all the New Directions and the Warblers, but his favorite was the one with Thomas in his lap, giggling away, with Damien and Marcus to his left, and Kurt on his right.

  
"It looks like a real family," Kurt says, leaning into his boyfriend. Blaine nods, agreeing with his words.

  
"Yeah, it does," He says softly, turning the page again.

  
Slowly, he starts to look worse, but there are more pictures of him and Kurt, and with him and other family and friends, and even some of just him, sleeping or just doing normal things along the way, but he starts to look worse. He didn't realize just how bad he looked until now.

  
"Jesus," He breathes, shaking his head.

  
"What's wrong?" Kurt scrunches his brows together with concern.

  
"I didn't realize how sick I looked," He replies, swallowing thickly.

  
"Yeah, but you're better now, so it doesn't matter," Kurt shrugs, kissing his temple slowly. Blaine nods, flipping the page again.

  
He goes through the rest of the book slowly, making sure to look at every photo and decoration. He smiles brightly when he gets to the second to last page. The page taken last week from before he left.

  
There he was, holding the sign with the words Cooper had written in black marker that morning, his thumb up.

  
"Stomach cancer took 341 days of my life, but now it's mine again as of today and I came out ten times stronger."

  
The next is of him and Cooper, then him, Cooper, and Burt. Another, taken the same day, was with Damien and Marcus, but his favorites were the ones of him and Kurt. One of the three pictures were both of them facing towards the camera, showing off their shirts' writing. The next one was of them two kissing, with Blaine's head turned to the side and Kurt's arm wrapped around his shoulders. His absolute favorite one though, of the entire book, was the last photo. The one with Kurt's hand over Blaine's chest, Kurt's forehead against the side of his head, and Blaine's arm locked around Kurt's waist. They were both laughing at something. The moment seemed intimiate. It was obviously a candid moment and those were Blaine's favorites. It showed their relationship perfectly. It warmed his heart.

  
"That's the best one in the book," Blaine remarks.

  
"That's why it's the last one," Kurt says softly, kissing his temple with care. The pictures were done, but there were still four pages left. Blaine scrunches his brows, flipping them over to reveal almost every single sticky notes that hung above his hospital bed. The same sticky notes that people would write on on their way in or out of the room.

  
"Awe, Baby," Blaine smiles, looking over everyone's handwriting. He's seen them a million times, but to see all the colors and different handwritings just made him happy. It was insane to see all of the support he had just laid out like that.

  
Carefully, Blaine shuts the book and sets it aside, only to turn and wrap Kurt in for a tight hug.

  
"I love you so much. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you," He chuckles, placing his lips onto Kurt's. Kurt smiles, rubbing his lower back gently.

  
"You're welcome and I love you too. I knew you wouldn't have thought about any of this, so I wanted to do this for you," He shrugs, kissing his lips once more.

  
"I wouldn't have. Thank you. It means the world to me. It really does," Blaine says, their forehead pressed against each other's.

  
"Good, because I put a lot of work into this," Kurt teases, rubbing at his side. Blaine smiles brightly. He can imagine. Kurt never did anything half assed.

  
"Shall we go downstairs and watch a movie then?" Blaine asks, bringing his hand up to cup his cheek and rub at his cheek. Kurt nods.

  
"That sounds wonderful."

 


	31. Chapter Thirty-One: New York City

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS! There is only one left and I'm so sad! Oh my God! Thank you so much for reading through this! I put a lot of work into these chapters! I really do, and to get this reaction, is crazy. So, thank you so much! I also have a question! Would you guys be interested in me doing a few one-shots from this verse. Such as, missing moments that I couldn't fit in or forgot, maybe future things, or things like that? Please let me know and if you have an idea for a one-shot that you want, let me know and I will do it, if it lines up with the story! Thank you so much for reading and enjoy! Leave a comment telling me what you though, and if you haven't already, leave a kudos! Thank you and enjoy!!
> 
> Also, WARNING: Smut in this chapter, not a lot, but a little!

  
Two weeks. He's been at home for two full weeks and he never thought he would enjoy it so much. He actually wanted to come home after dates with Kurt and outings with Sam, and he liked to be home. He didn't hide in his room anymore either. He had an actual family he liked to be around and people he loved like family. He had a group of people that loved him too. It was everything he's wanted and more and he was grateful for every single piece of it.

  
"Blaine! Dinner's ready!" Marcus calls from the bottom of the stairs, pulling him from his thoughts.

  
"Okay!" Blaine finishes hanging up his last pair of chinos and hurries out the door and down the stairs. By the time he gets to the dining room, Thomas was climbing up in his chair and Marcus and Damien were just sitting down, setting the plates of food onto the table.

  
Blaine takes his now normal seat beside Thomas and slides in across from Damien and Marcus.

  
"You almost finished getting your room done?" Marcus asks, scooping some salad into Damien's bowl for him. Blaine nods his head.

  
"Yeah, for the most part. I'll probably finish it tomorrow. I honestly have way too many button-ups," He chuckles, shaking his head and picking a piece of garlic toast off from the plate. The couple smiles back at him. They were just happy that he was happy.

  
"Well, you'll be packing some of them up soon," Damien shrugs, to which Blaine smiles wider. New York. He was only a week away until he was there with Kurt at his side and they were in a hotel room all alone for an entire week and a half. He was ready for that. He was ready to pack his clothes up again.

  
"Oh, you're signed up for McKinley again too, by the way," Damien says, while Blaine helped Thomas get his food. His toddler arms couldn't quite reach across the table.  
"Awesome! Thank you so much," Blaine grins, cutting up the spaghetti noodles for the small boy. He never thought he would be excited for school to start and for summer to be over, but he was, because it meant normal and he would kill for normal again. He was halfway there.

  
"Of course," Damien shrugs as if it was nothing. Which, to him, it wasn't, but to Blaine it was everything. Blaine smiles, focusing back on Thomas's plate, trying to cut his spaghetti the way he liked it and in a way he would eat it.

  
"Hey, Dad, can you pass me the cheese please?" Blaine asks, nodding towards Damien, who had the parmesan cheese beside him. He was so busy with helping Thomas, he didn't ever catch it, not until he realized everyone was staring. Marcus had a small smile on his face, but Damien just looked shocked, both frozen in place. Blaine freezes too, his eyes going wide with realization. He just called Damien 'Dad'.

  
"I didn't-I-uh-" Blaine drops the untensils in his hands and is quickly out of his seat. Damien tries calling after him, but he's already up the stairs and his bedroom door was shutting, not slamming exactly, but still hard enough for it to echo through the house.

  
"Blaine, wait!" Damien calls, tossing his napkin onto his plate and pushing his chair out, hurrying up the stairs. His steps slow when he gets to Blaine's door. He just about walks in, but instead decides to knock first, not wanting to upset the boy anymore.

  
"Blaine, it's me. Can I come in?" He asks, his hand hovering over the door handle. There's no response, so Damien walks in. Blaine was sitting on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands and crying. "Hey, what's wrong?"

  
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. It's just slipped out. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable and fuck things up, or-" Damien cuts the frantic boy off.

  
"Hey, calm down." He crouches down in front of the teenager, putting his hands on Blaine's knees. He was crying. Tears were already pouring out of his cheeks. It seemed more like Blaine had insulted him instead of calling him 'Dad'. Blaine shuts his eyes, running his hands over his peach fuzzed head that was finally starting to grow back. "What's wrong? Why are you crying, Blaine?" He asks, scrunching his brows together.

  
"I didn't mean to say it. I'm so sorry. It just slipped out of my mouth. I didn't mean to make you upset or anything like that. I'm sorry," Blaine apologizes. Damien shakes his head.

  
"Blaine, that wasn't a bad thing. You didn't offend me or anything," He scoffs, mangaging a small smile. "Really, I'm flattered, Blaine. That was probably one of the highlights of my year. It means the world that you think of me like that."

  
Blaine sniffles, looking down at his hands, trying to to stop the tears from pouring down his cheeks.

  
"Why did this upset you so much?" Damien asks, ducking his head to make eye contact with the boy. It didn't make much sense. He was acting like he insulted him.

  
"With my real dad, he always hated it when I called him that. He never said anything about. Ever. But, after I came out of the closet, he always used to cringe, or roll his eyes, or mutter something under his breath. It stopped after awhile, but even after I was diagnosed I would catch him doing it. I just-I didn't-I didn't want to upset you or make you feel uncomfortable or think it was stupid. I love it here and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

  
"I'm stopping you right there. You know, sometimes, you can be so frustrating," Damien admits, shaking his head. Blaine snaps his head up, his face falling like a lost puppy's.

"Blaine, how many times do I have to tell you we care about you? We are not your old parents. Nowhere near them. You can tell us things, ask us things, call us your parents, whatever you want to do, okay?"

  
"Okay," Blaine nods slowly, his voice thick with tears.

  
"We'll never yell at you until you do something truly stupid and we'll never make you feel bad, because we don't want to see you hurt either. We've told you this before, but you're like a second son to us and you'll never be anything short of that. Ever again. Okay?"

  
"Yeah," Blaine nods again. Damien smiles.

  
"Okay, now come here." The nurse tugs on Blaine's shoulder, making him chuckle, but still wrap his arms around him and hide his face into his neck. Damien laughs a little, rubbing his back gently.

  
"Thank you. This has been the best two weeks of my life. I'm actually truly happy for once and that's because of you guys, so thank you so much for just being you," He sniffles.  
"Never thank us. We'll happily do it over and over for you, Blaine. We love you," Damien scoffs.

  
"I love you guys too," Blaine says through tears, allowing Damien to squeeze him tightly into his trademark bear hug. Damien pulls back, cupping his face to wipe at the tears on his olive cheeks.

  
"Alright, now let's go back downstairs before your food gets cold or Thomas comes up here, okay?"

  
"Okay," Blaine chuckles. Damien smiles, leaning over to press a fatherly kiss to his head, getting to his feet. Blaine follows him, wiping at his eyes as well, getting the tears that Damien missed. They walk down the stairs slowly, eventually making it to the dining room. Marcus and Damien exchange a glance, saying something Blaine didn't know, but they understood each other perfectly.

  
"Sorted out?" Marcus asks, looking up at Blaine with a large smile. Blaine nods his head. Before Blaine can sit himself down, Marcus is out of his chair, letting him in for a large hug and a deep sigh. Blaine relaxes in his arms, a bright smile on his face, despite his tear stained face.

  
"Good," Marcus breathes, rubbing his back lightly before letting him go. Blaine finally takes his seat again, scooting in beside Thomas.

  
"Where'd you go?" Thomas asks, looking up at the teenager with a furrowed brow. His fork held high and his mouth full.

  
"Just upstairs for a bit," Blaine replies, leaning over to press a soft kiss to his dark hair. Thomas shrugs, going back to his dinner. Blaine looks up at the-no, his parents. He looks up at his parents, and sees the pride in their eyes, which of course make his cheeks turn a light pink, going back to his dinner plate.

  
If something like this happened at his old house, his dad probably would have smacked him in his jaw, or his mother would have gasped and said something about it being inappropriate. Getting used to that fact that these two dads in front of him were not the two parents at home, would take some getting used to. A lot of getting used to, but he would get there. One day he would get there. Somehow.

  
He also knew Damien and Marcus would be patient with that. They won't force him to do anything. They'll just listen and treat him in a way Pamela and James never have. He would be treated like a person, which is all he's ever wanted.

  
He was incredibly excited to get used to this. This is what home felt like and he could get used this.

 

-0-

 

"What was that?" Damien shoots up in bed, his husband not far behind him, looking just as disheveled and sleepy, but equally as worried. It's not every night you wake up to a scream coming from down the hall.

  
"Blaine," Marcus replies, throwing the blankets off of his legs and hurrying out of the room. Soon, another cry is coming from down the hall, but this time it was from their younger son.

 

"I'll get Thomas," Damien calls to his husband, who was already outside of Blaine's bedroom door.

  
"Blaine?" When Marcus opens the heavy door, Blaine is pacing in front of his bed, moving from one side of the room to the other. "Hey, what's going on?" He goes to put a hand over Blaine's shoulder, but he was quickly cowering back, gasping loudly.

  
"Hey, it's just me, B," Marcus says softly, putting his hands up in surrender.

  
"Sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I'm really sorry," Blaine breathes. Marcus shakes his head, managing a small smile.

  
"No need to apologize," He starts. "What happened? Are you alright? Should I call a doctor? Get Damien in here?"

  
"No, I'm fine. I just-I had another nightmare," Blaine replies, rubbing the back of his neck carefully, his cheeks turning a light pink. Nightmares sounded so childish. It sounded stupid.

  
"It's not stupid," Marcus replies. Shit. He said that out loud? "Everyone has them. You wanna tell me what it was about?"

  
"Uh, it was dumb. It really wasn't anything," The singer shrugs, wrapping his arms around himself.

  
"Blaine, please. Let me help. It's-" he pauses to check the clock on Blaine's bedside clock. "-three in the morning. If I didn't care, I wouldn't be up. I would have let you freak out on your own."

  
Blaine clears his throat, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

  
"It was just a stupid dream. Um, I had a dream we were back at the hospital. We were talking to Dr. Thomas, and he told me I relapsed, only it spread to my lung. He gave me six months," Blaine says softly, looking down at his feet.

  
"Blaine, you know that's not real. You made it past all that," Marcus shakes his head.

  
"I know. I know, but then everything fell apart. I watched as like a third party when Kurt left me and when you and Damien said you couldn't take me in anymore. I watched as my dad came in and told me he was right and told me how worthless I am. I watched when Cooper stopped talking to me. I watched as my life fell apart. I know it was only an hour or so, but it felt like I was stuck there for months. I felt like it took forever for me to wake up." He shakes his head, rolling his eyes at himself. He sounded pathetic. He sounded stupid and childish.

  
"Blaine, that will never happen. I promise you that," He scoffs, tugging on Blaine's arm. Blaine falls into his embrace.

  
"I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to wake you up," Blaine sniffles, feeling a little stiff in his arms. Marcus notices right away, but doesn't say anything at first.

  
"Are you okay?" Marcus asks, rubbing his back gently. Blaine pulls back.

  
"It's not like this is the first time I had a nightmare," he shrugs, crossing his arms across his chest, still refusing to look at Marcus in the eyes.

  
"What do mean? How long have you been having nightmares?"

  
"Ever since I was diagnosed, but it's not a big deal," He replies awkwardly, swallowing thickly.

  
"Blaine, what? Why haven't you told anyone? We can put you on medication, we can put you on something to stop you from having them. Do they happen often?"

  
"I don't know, maybe a couple times a week, but there's only been a few bad ones," He shrugs as if it was nothing.

  
"There's something you're not telling me," Marcus studies the teen's face, noting the way he looked so uncomfortable and weary. "What's wrong? What else happened?"  
"What do you mean? Nothing. I'm fine," He shrugs, trying to act casual.

  
"Blaine, I know you. Something like that would not cause you to get so worked up. What else happened in the dream?" Marcus worries, his face falling with concern.

  
"Nothing. Nothing happened. I-"

  
"Blaine, talk to me. Please. I'm begging you. Talk to me." Blaine looks down at his feet, swallowing thickly and wiping at his eyes, deciding if he wanted to say anything. Marcus gave him his time and it wasn't more than a couple of seconds before he spoke it.

  
"I did have that nightmare, but I was able to go back to sleep because I knew it wasn't real. I knew that I wasn't in the hospital anymore and I knew that I was at home," Blaine starts, nodding his head slowly and sniffling back his tears. "So, I went back to sleep. It didn't take long for me to fall asleep, but then I had another one. This one was very real. Very, very real."

  
"Um, it started normal. I was just sitting on the couch with Kurt. Here. Thomas was there too, but it was just the three of us." He clears his throat out. "Then, someone knocked on the door. Of course, I answered it, but it was my dad," He manages, choking on his words. Marcus watches him carefully, allowing him to push through it. "I thought he was gonna hit me, but he didn't. He just shoved me aside and he hit Kurt." He shakes his head, sucking in a deep breath. "He kept hitting him and it felt like I was stuck in a pool of concrete. Thomas was crying, Kurt was calling out to me and I just stood there because I couldn't move. I just couldn't move."

  
Marcus nods his head, encouraging him to go on. If he interrupted him, then he probably wouldn't continue.

  
"I was screaming for him to stop, and eventually he did. I was crying and Kurt was crying and so was Thomas. I thought he was finished. I thought he was done, but he wasn't. He moved on to Thomas. When I screamed for him to stop, I woke up," He sniffles.

  
Marcus's stomach sinks. At the thought of that happening to his son, his stomach flips and he felt like he was going to throw up.

  
"Blaine," Marcus closes the gap between them and pulls him in for a hug, rubbing his back. Blaine was crying. He was crying hard into his shoulder, gripping onto his shirt.

  
"It was so real. It felt so real. It felt like I was actually there. It was the worse feeling the world, Marcus," Blaine cries.

  
"Shh. It's okay," the father rubs his back carefully, holding him tightly. "It's not real. Thomas is just down the hall and Kurt is thirty minutes away, probably sleeping. It's all okay. I promise you."

  
Blaine nods, choking on a couple of sobs.

  
"Baby?" It was Damien calling from the doorway. They break up slowly, looking at the man, happy to see Thomas in his arms. "He just refuses to go back down," He chuckles lightly. He moves into the room, handing him off to Blaine, probably hearing the earlier conversation. Blaine manages a teary eyed smile, and sets him down on his hip. Thomas furrows his brows, using his hands to wipe at Blaine's wet cheeks. The three laugh at the boy and Blaine presses a soft kiss to his cheek.

  
"Don't be sad," Thomas instructs, smiling his widest grin. Blaine smiles.

  
"You're just too precious, aren't you?" He sniffles. Thomas giggles again, nuzzling himself against Blaine's side, kicking his feet slightly. The former Warbler holds him close to his chest, whispering slightly.

  
"I'm so glad you're okay," He says, his shoulders relaxing. Damien and Marcus exchange a glance and Damien pulls Marcus to his side, wrapping his arm around his shoulders.

  
"He will be," Damien nods. Yes, he definitely heard the conversation. Blaine nods at his words, holding the small boy close to him. Thomas just grins, hiding his cold nose into the crook of his neck.

  
"I wanna sleep with you," Thomas says, squeezing Blaine as tight as he could. Blaine chuckles, looking up at Marcus and Damien.

  
"He'll probably sleep better here than in his room," Damien shrugs, a small chuckle coming from his lips, but a proud smile on his face.

  
"Sleepover?" Thomas looking up at Blaine, a large grin on his face. Blaine nods.

  
"Yeah, sleepover," Blaine agrees, kissing his cheek gently.

  
"We'll see you in the morning, then," Marcus smiles, pressing a soft kiss to Thomas's forehead, and another one to Blaine's, warming the teen's heart. Damien does the same, and they're soon leaving their two boys alone. Blaine sets Thomas on his bed, and Thomas quickly crawls under the covers, snuggling up and patting the empty space beside him. Blaine laughs, laying down beside him.

  
"Don't ever leave," Thomas says, turning on his side to look at Blaine.

  
"Promise," Blaine nods, tears starting into his eyes again.

 

-0-

 

Sometimes, you have to take a moment to enjoy things. This Saturday morning, at three in the morning, Damien needed to do that. He didn't do it enough, but he wasn't going to miss this one.

  
When you're a nurse, life goes by in a bustle of different people and difficult tasks, so sometimes he forgets to take a breath and enjoy things that are happening to him. Marcus tends to do it too, because having a five year old and full time job with crazy hours does the same thing.

  
He couldn't help himself this morning though. Walking into Blaine's room, to see Blaine passed out on his stomach, the covers slipping down his back and t-shirt riding up, and little Thomas lying next to him on his back, his arms thrown above his head, passed out cold, Damien couldn't help but stop. This was one of those moments where he wished he could just freeze time and stay here forever.

  
Blaine's been an amazing big brother to Thomas and Thomas has loved every second of Blaine. After the teen's nightmare a couple days ago, Thomas would often go to sleep in his own bed, but Damien and Marcus would wake up in the morning to see him in Blaine's bed.

  
Damien needed to wake up Blaine, because otherwise he was going to be late for his flight. Kurt was picking him up in an hour, but he didn't want to. He wanted to watch them sleep all day, no matter how creepy it sounded. So, he stands in the doorway for a few more minutes, one hand clutching his coffee mug and the other holding out his phone to take a couple of pictures. Thomas would want to see it when he got older and Blaine would want to see it as soon as possible.

  
Once the pictures are taken, he smiles brightly, stuffing it into his hoodie's pocket and sighing with content. He also had to go to work in an hour, so he also needed to get ready, but he didn't want to. He wanted to watch these two snore all day. Thomas smacks his lips together, kicking his legs slightly, but soon getting comfortable once more, snoring again.

  
Blaine probably didn't know it, but he snored almost as much as his husband did. He couldn't wait to get calls from Kurt, complaining about the boy snoring when they eventually moved out. He enjoyed teasing Marcus and he knew Kurt would enjoy teasing Blaine about it. He probably already has.

  
With one look at the clock, noticing he wasted fifteen minutes of precious getting ready time, he walked the rest of the way into the room, setting his mug on Blaine's nightstand and shaking him lightly.

  
"Blaine, you gotta get up," He whispers, not wanting to wake up Thomas. Blaine groans, hiding his face into his arm that was supporting his head. "I know, I know, but Kurt's gonna be here in forty-five minutes. You still need to get dressed and eat something."

  
"'M tired," He grumbles, his voice raspy. Damien chuckles lightly.

  
"I know, but you have a flight to catch. You're going to New York, remember?" At the mention of New York, Blaine smiles gently, looking over to the nurse, through one open eye.

  
"Right," he sighs with content and Damien can practically see the excitement grow in his hazel eyes.

  
"Come on. Get dressed. I'll make you some toast," He says, getting to his feet pressing a kiss to the back of his head and patting him on the back. Blaine turns his head, smiling at the toddler beside him. He pets his head down gently, making it flat before Damien heads out, listening to Blaine pad himself into the bathroom.

  
Just as Damien is coming out the door, Marcus is joining him, slipping his glasses on.

  
"Morning," Damien smiles, making sure to peck his lips before they went down the stairs together.

  
"Morning," Marcus yawns, following his husband to the kitchen.

  
"What are you doing up? It's only three thirty," Damien asks, grabbing a piece of bread from the bag and tossing it into the toaster.

  
"Is it cheesy to say I missed you?" Marcus grins, pouring himself a cup of steaming coffee. Damien laughs, shaking his head.

  
"You know you don't have to schmooze me anymore. We're already married, Babe," he teases, earning a small laugh from the other man and also a peck to the lips on his way to the kitchen table, taking his first sip of coffee.

  
They quickly fall into a comfortable silence, but Damien can read the worry on his husband's face as he bounced his knee and watched the kitchen door intently.

  
"Alright, what's wrong?" Damien groans, grabbing a container of orange marmalade from the fridge. Butter had too much fat in it still. Blaine still wasn't ready to add too many fats into his diet. Most meals they had for dinner had to be rearranged for Blaine, but they didn't mind doing it, especially when he would often make them himself.

  
"Is it too soon to say I'll miss him?" Marcus sighs wistfully, crossing his arms across his chest. Damien chuckles, shaking his head.

"Is it too protective of me to say I'm worried about him?" Damien retorts, grabbing the popped toast from the toaster and setting it on a plate. Marcus shakes his head.

  
"Glad to know I'm not alone. You know, that kid has weaseled his way into our lives quickly. It only took a year, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I love him just as much as I love Thomas," He sighs.

  
"Me too," Damien nods, spreading some of the marmalade onto the toasted bread.

  
"Morning," Blaine greets, coming through the kitchen door, a bright grin on his face. He was wearing a pair of grey chinos and a white sweater with navy blue stripes. Since he's been home, he's been starting to dress less like a patient and more like a teenager again, much to everyone's enjoyment.

  
"Morning, kiddo," Marcus greets, a smile soon appearing on his face, just like it did when Thomas came into view. Just filled with pride and love for his son.

  
"Orange marmalade," Damien says, passing the plate to the boy.

  
"Thank you," Blaine grins, taking a bite before he grabbed a water bottle from the fridge, still chewing on his toast.

 

"I should go get dressed," Damien sighs, finishing off his coffee and heading out the kitchen door.

  
The two remaining men fall into silence, the only sounds being Blaine softly humming as he chewed and looked over his phone. Marcus watches him with a small smile. It sounds creepy, but it wasn't. He just didn't know what he'd do with out having him around for ten days. It sounded absurd.

  
"Excited?"

  
"Beyond," Blaine replies, setting his phone down. "Kurt just texted me. He's on his way," he adds, a large grin on his face.

  
"Burt dropping you off then?"

  
"That's the plan," Blaine nods, taking another slow bite, his smile never faltering.

  
"Please, just be careful," Marcus sighs, his smile fading. Blaine snaps his head up, his smile also fading slightly. He didn't look upset, but he looked shocked, as if Marcus worrying about him was a crazy idea.

  
"Always," Slowly, the smile returns to his face and his shoulder relax. Marcus smiles against as well, taking another sip of coffee from his mug.

  
"Good, good," He nods.

  
Blaine finishes his toast rather quickly and he's soon making his departure up the stairs to go and grab his suitcase.

  
Marcus sighs heavily, leaning back in the kitchen chair and running a hand through his hair. Damien is quickly replacing Blaine, grabbing his thermos to fill with coffee for the day.

  
"What's that look for?" His husband asks, scrunching his brows together.

  
"I told him to be careful and he looked so shocked. Like, he's never heard it said before," Marcus shakes his head, watching the empty seat where the teen had sat.  
"He probably hasn't. Not from a parent at least," Damien shrugs. "We have to remember this is all new to him, just as it is to us."

  
"It blows my mind sometimes," Marcus replies. Damien nods his head, finishing off the last of the coffee pot and coming over to his husband, pressing a kiss to his head.

  
"I know." That's all he can say before someone is knocking on their door. Damien grins and the pair follow the noise to the front living room, opening up the door to see a very excited Kurt.

  
"Morning, Kurt," Damien greets, grabbing his coat from the hook.

  
"Morning," Kurt says brightly and Marcus is still wondering how the hell he can look so put together this early in the morning. His hair is in a perfect coif and he's wearing a pair of black jeans and a black button up, the first three buttons unbuttoned. A grey pair of boots were on his feet and a pink neckerchief was wrapped into a tight knot around his neck.

  
It's not long before Blaine is bounding down the stairs, with his suitcase at his side and a backpack on his back.

  
"Hey," He chuckles lightly as Damien lets the countertenor in. Blaine grins as Kurt says his hello, pressing a quick greeting kiss to his boyfriend's lips.

  
"Ready?" Kurt asks, excitement practically bubbling from him.

  
"For a long time," Blaine teases, slipping into his grey Tom's.

  
"Awesome," Kurt claps his hands together with excitement.

  
"I'll see you guys when I get home then," Blaine says, as Damien pulls him in for a hug.

  
"Yeah, you will," Damien chuckles. "Love you, guys," He says, moving onto Kurt and wrapping him an equally tight hug.

  
"Love you too," The young couple says at the same time, Marcus pulling Blaine in for a bone-crushing hug.

  
"Don't do anything stupid or anything I wouldn't do," He warns the two of them as he releases Blaine and pulls Kurt in for a hug.

  
"Never," Kurt agrees, nodding his head as they pull apart. Marcus sighs heavily.

  
"Good. Now, make sure to have fun." He winks at the pair, who both nod happily. "Alright, go on," Marcus opens the door for the two and they're soon filing out, with Damien as well, going to work, but not before pressing a quick peck to his husband's lips and a promise to come home that night.

  
As soon as the door is shut, Marcus breathes out a long, deep sigh. Well, he had an entire day to spend with Thomas. Sounded perfect and the perfect distraction.

 

-0-

 

They've only been in New York for a little under two hours and Kurt already loved it. If they went up to a front desk in Ohio and said they had reservations for a room with just a queen in it, they would have gotten a disgusted look and possibly could have gotten beaten up later. They did just that in New York and they just received a welcoming grin and two key cards. The couple was actually welcomed here for the first time in their lives.

  
Kurt locks his hand with Blaine's as they walk through the hallway, their suitcases behind them and their room just a few doors down. Their own room, with no parents, nurses, or doctors in sight. It sounded absurd considering how their lives have been for the past year.

  
Neither of them could wipe the grins off their faces as they walk, both practically skipping down the hallway. They should be exhausted from their flight, but they weren't. They were filled with adrenaline from being in the city. They both slept on the plane, but as soon as they landed, they were bouncing on their heels, just itching to get out of their seats and hail their first New York taxi.

  
Blaine slides the key card through the slot and Kurt squeals when he opens the heavy door. His boyfriend nods for him to go first, so Kurt does, his very packed suitcase rolling behind him.

  
The room was really nice. Burt really wanted to treat them to an unforgettable ten days. The bed spread was just a plain white, but it looked so fluffy. A flat screen TV was hanging on the opposite wall, with a luxury of different remotes on the table under it. The wall across the from the door was just a large window, with black curtains on the sides for night time. The view was beautiful, showing off all the city lights and the moon that was coming up, replacing the sun.

  
Everything looked expensive. Even the robes hanging on the bathroom doors looked like they cost a fortune. The couch beside the TV was a light leather, with matching pillows, and Kurt knew leather was not cheap. He doesn't know how his dad was able to afford this. He guesses it was from another congress man, because there's no way Burt would have dished this money out, even for his two sons.

  
"This is incredible," Blaine gapes, looking around the room with wide eyes, the door falling shut behind him.

  
"I know," Kurt breathes out a sigh, going over to the mini fridge and picking up the note that sat beside a bucket of sparkling cider.

  
_Don't be stupid. Have fun._  
_-Your parents_

  
Kurt chuckles a little. He could just hear his dad saying it to them. Hearing his laugh, Blaine comes behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling him close to his chest, his chin hooked over his shoulder. He shakes his head playfully, reading over the note as well. Blaine probably couldn't have sparkling cider yet, but a few sips wouldn't hurt.

  
"We're in New York," Blaine breathes, moving so his lips are ghosting over Kurt's neck, causing the boy to shiver.

  
"The possibilities are endless," Kurt agrees, setting the note down and putting his hands over Blaine's, which were locked securely across his middle.

  
"How about we start with a shower?" Blaine whispers, his breath causing goosebumps to appear over his boyfriend's pale skin.

  
"Bath," Kurt nods. Blaine hums in agreement, kissing his neck quickly before releasing his boyfriend to check out the bathroom, while Kurt got things ready for after.  
The bathroom was just as beautiful as the large main room. The tile was tan and heavy, and the counter tops were granite, with two sinks and two large mirrors, covering one of the walls.

  
"More like a suite," Blaine mumbles, looking across the room. Not only was there a stand up shower, but there was also a tub with jets and a toilet that had its very own control pad. The boy shakes his head, going to the tub to start the hot water.

  
"This is crazy," he hears Kurt say from the doorway, looking across the large bathroom. Blaine nods, sitting on the edge of the tub and looking over the setting.

  
"Yeah, it really is," he scoffs with amazement. Kurt moves across the room, lighting the few candles lying around the room, while Blaine got to his feet to play with the dimmer on the light panel beside the door. They didn't think anything was going to happen tonight, but that left no excuse for every moment in New York not to be romantic as possible.

  
It takes what feels like forever for the tub to fill up, but they were a bit preoccupied with each other's mouths to care too much. Kurt's shirt was already sliding off of his shoulders, so he tosses it off easy, his jeans and boxers coming shortly after, leaving him in only his neck chief.

 

Blaine grins, sliding his sweater off, along with his chinos and boxers.

  
His body definitely didn't look like it used to, but it was filling out a little. Instead of being able to count all of his ribs, you could count about half of them, and his arms were starting to gain muscle again, not a lot, but starting to. He was still pretty bald almost everywhere too. The only place his hair was starting to come back in was his head, and even that was still a short buzz cut.

  
He felt self conscious in front of Kurt, because Kurt was still a gorgeous as ever, with his mile long legs, thin torso, powerful jawline, and strong arms. He was beautiful. Stunning. He didn't even realize he was staring at his boyfriend until Kurt cleared his throat and he saw the red start to creep up on his pale neck.

  
Blaine grins, closing the space between the two of them, untying the neck scarf for him, and tossing it aside onto the floor. The former Warbler presses a soft and soothing kiss to Kurt's lips, his hand cupping his cheek, before tugging on his hand to get in. Kurt obeys, sitting up so Blaine can crawl in behind him.

  
Kurt shivers, letting the water warm him back up. Blaine runs his wet hands over his boyfriend's arm, tugging him close to his chest. The countertenor relaxes into his arms, sinking back against him with a content hum.

  
"This is nice," Kurt smiles, his head resting on Blaine's shoulder. Blaine makes a noise of agreement, his arms tightening around the boy. The candles were lit, the lights had been dimmed, music was playing from Kurt's phone, the jets were going, the were bubbles floating around across the water, and his boyfriend was sitting in lap. Naked. How could Blaine not be happy? He's dreamed of this happening ever since Kurt presented him with the Wicked tickets for a few days away back in December. It was everything he wanted and more.

  
"I love you," Blaine whispers, pressing a loving kiss to the boy's temple. Kurt opens his eyes, looking up at his boyfriend, his head still resting on his shoulder.

  
"I love you more," Kurt smiles. Blaine shakes his head slowly, obviously disagreeing, his lips ghosting over his pale shoulder.

  
"Not possible," He hums, squeezing him a little tighter to get his point across. This wasn't about sex or being naked, or anything along those lines. It was about being caught up in each other, being together in a way they haven't been together in for a long, long time. It felt more intimate than that. He knew Kurt felt the same, because lust was no where in his eyes, but love was, and so was admiration. It caused Blaine's heart to beat faster, his whole body warming.

  
"You're so perfect. Do you know that? You're just perfect in every way, shape, and form," Kurt says, bringing his hand up to curl around Blaine's head, petting his hair with his wet hand. Blaine just sighs heavily, listening to the music playing through Kurt's phone speaker. It was their playlist. The one Kurt had made for their first time. Only playing soft, romantic songs, like 'Come Away With Me', 'Make You Feel my Love', and 'Helium'.

  
Blaine pulls back from Kurt's neck, to look him in the eyes. Kurt was still playing with his hair, loving the feeling of it's return, knowing the curls were coming back. He had a soft smile on his face, his blue eyes full of love and Blaine just wants to get lost in them, never to return. The boy shakes his head slowly, leaning down to press a kiss to his lips. Kurt's hand stills and he moves so the angle isn't so awkward.

  
It's soft, softer than most of their kisses. It's not rushed because there is no one to bother them, and they both just want to stay there forever. Their lips move slowly, as if they haven't kissed in years. Kurt's shoulders relax, nipping a little at Blaine's upper lip.

  
Kurt chases Blaine's lips when he pulls back, only getting another quick peck and a hot breath. Neither of them open their eyes, just letting their foreheads rest against each other's, depending heavily on each other's weight. Kurt's practically limp in Blaine's arms, his arms wound around his neck and his upper body turned so their almost flush together. It's a weird angle for Kurt, but with Blaine supporting him, his body nice and solid against his own, he didn't want to let go. Ever.

 

-0-

 

"Baby, that was amazing!" Blaine cheers, practically bouncing in his shoes as they walked down the sidewalk, their hands swinging between them. Kurt laughs loudly, allowing his boyfriend to swing his arm as much as he wanted.

  
They just got out of the show, their first Broadway play, but they both agreed it would not be their last. It was way too much fun.

  
"One day, that's gonna be us. On stage, singing and dancing like we own it," Blaine assures him, squeezing his hand tightly within his own.

  
"I sure hope so," Kurt sighs wistfully, his smile never leaving his lips. Blaine shakes his head, tugging Kurt to his side, so he can wrap his arm around his waist.

  
"No. There is no hoping because it's going to happen. Not as munchkins either. No, we'll be Elphaba and Glinda," Blaine adds, squeezing his side. Kurt shakes his head, laughing gently.

  
"As much as I love those two, I really don't want to be women," He teases, cross his arms over his chest. He was freezing he should have worn something warmer. It was late August, so around evening time, it started getting a little colder and for once, Kurt was not prepared. He really wasn't thinking.

  
Kurt was wearing a pair of tight black pants, that hugged him in all the right places, a salmon colored button down, with the sleeve roll up to his elbows, a pale blue neckerchief, and a pair of black dress shoes. His hair was of course done up to perfection too. It was fancy enough to see a show, but also casual enough to go for a walk in the park.

  
Blaine on the hand, looked a bit more dressy, but not by much. He wore a pair of red slacks, and a dark blue blazer, reminding Kurt of their Dalton days. He had on a light grey button down under it and a red bow tie to go with it. He also had on a pair of dark blue, velvet dress shoes.

  
He hasn't dressed like this in a long time, and it made Kurt's heart beat faster. He was gorgeous. Blaine always was, but whenever he did dress up, Kurt couldn't help but swell with pride, knowing this man was all his and no one else's.

  
"You know what I mean," Blaine chuckles. "Maybe we'll be the first gay Tony and Maria, or maybe we can bring the Blues Brothers to Broadway and play them. That would be so much fun," He sighs at the thought, looking off down the busy street. Kurt laughs, cuddling into his side. He really was cold. Blaine squeezes him tighter to his side, his free hand shoved into his pocket.

  
"I love you," Kurt says with a sigh, shivering slightly, attempting to steal Blaine's body heat.

  
"Are you cold?" He asks, looking at the countertenor. Kurt shrugs, suddenly feeling embarrassed. He really should have thought this out.

  
"Maybe a little," Kurt replies softly. Blaine laughs at the boy, releasing Kurt's side, much to Kurt's displeasure. It was just so Blaine could remove his blazer though and drape it across Kurt's shoulders. Kurt chuckles. It was so cheesy, but it was perfect. They were about the same height, but Blaine always had broader shoulders than Kurt, so the blazer went nicely across his shoulders, leaving extra room in the shoulders and arms. He wasn't swimming in it, but it was comfortable and luckily, the dark blue didn't totally ruin his outfit.

  
Suddenly remembering they were in public, Kurt's smile faded and he looked around nervously, forgetting where they were.

  
"Hey, none of that. We are not in Ohio. We're in New York, remember? On Broadway at that," Blaine chuckles, stopping in his tracks, right in front of Kurt. He settles his hands on Kurt's waist, squeezing carefully. Kurt smiles gently, his shoulders relaxing.

  
"I can even do this here," Slowly, and with a large smile, Blaine leans in, capturing the boy's lips in for a sweet kiss. He'd only rate it PG-13, but it was still passionate, just they always were. Kurt smiles into it, closing the small distance between each other, not leaving a lot of room for anything between them.

  
"I love you, so much, Blaine," Kurt says once they pull back, his eyes still shut and his forehead resting against Blaine's. Blaine's eyes were wide open, his thumb rubbing against Kurt's hip bone, smiling at the man in front of him.

  
"I love you too, Baby," Blaine breathes, watching Kurt's cheeks gain a new pink color, but his smile never leaves his face. Yes, he really did love this man. A lot.  
"I never want to leave this place," Kurt sighs, shaking his head.

  
"One day, we won't have to. We can just stay here forever, live right down the street from a Broadway theater. This could be our normal Friday nights, or Saturday's. Which ever you prefer," Blaine shrugs, bringing one of his hands to cup Kurt's pale cheek, his thumb running across the skin. 

  
Kurt finally opens his eyes, chuckling lightly.

  
"I don't think we'll be able to afford that as students," He replies. Blaine gazes into his boyfriend's blue eyes, getting lost in them for the hundredth time. The grey in his iris's swam through the blue, and Blaine practically swam with it, his mind always going light headed when he stared for too long, because they were so mesmerizing. Kurt's eyes were always one of his favorite things about him, and he would never get sick of that.

  
"Maybe so," Blaine replies simply, the small smile never leaving his face, and his thumb never stopping. Kurt returns the grin, moving so he can wrap his arms around Blaine's waist, hiding his face into his neck, breathing in the scent of his boyfriend. It was like honey, strawberries, and something else Kurt could never put his finger on. It just always smelled like Blaine. He was happy to no longer smell hospital on him. When he was sick, the hospital smell always trumped the honey and strawberries and Kurt hated it. Despised it even, but after almost three weeks at Damien and Marcus's house, the smell was finally gone.

  
The other man wraps his own arms around Kurt's shoulders, tugging him close to his chest and taking in a deep breath. His arms strong around his body. Kurt nuzzles his cold nose against the crook of Blaine's neck, keeping it warm.

  
He could stay like this forever. Safe and protected in Blaine's arms. He loved that feeling. It always just felt like home when he was in Blaine's arms. No matter where they were or what was going on, being held in Blaine's arm gave him a newfound happiness.

  
"You guys are adorable."

  
At the sound of a woman's voice, the two pull apart, but just enough to look at the elderly woman, her arm hooked with her husband's. They must have just gotten out of the show too, because they were dressed similar to the younger couple.

  
She had a bright smile on her face, fondness in her voice and eyes. Kurt chuckles, his head resting on Blaine's shoulders.

  
"Thank you," Blaine laughs, a blush creeping up on his neck. The woman winks at them and just as quick as she came, she was leaving down the street.

  
"Wow. I never thought we'd get a compliment in the middle of a street. Ever," Kurt admits, shaking his head with disbelief. Blaine scoffs, nodding his head.

  
"Yeah. Me neither. Not in the middle of a street. In public," Blaine replies, squeezing Kurt's shoulders, tugging him towards his chest. They watch the couple keep walking down the sidewalk, until they turn down onto the next street.

  
"Dinner then?" Kurt looks over to his boyfriend, lifting his head from his shoulder. Blaine nods, a bright smile on his face.

  
"Yeah. Dinner sounds wonderful," he agrees, letting his arm slide down Kurt's shoulders, just to grab his hand. They quickly fall in step with each other, going back down the sidewalk, to get to the restaurant at the end of the block.

  
They walk in silence, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It almost never was with them. They just kept looking around them, wanting to memorize every piece of the city, even if they would be coming back next year. The lights, the posters, even the advertisements. They wanted to memorize it all, because it was all part of New York. The city of their dreams.  
The restaurant was nice, considering neither of them could pronounce the name of it. Burt had made reservations months ago for the date of dinner and he paid of it himself, wanting the pair to get the proper Broadway and show experience, no matter how much it cost.

  
They were showed to a table in the far corner, where mostly no one was. A tall candle was lit in the middle of the table and it looked fancier than either of them have ever seen in Ohio. Blaine pulls the chair out for Kurt, causing Kurt to playfully roll his eyes and mumble something about how he was going to do that for Blaine, causing Blaine to laugh as he took his own seat.

  
Before their waiter even leaves, Blaine is already ordering something for the both of them from the menu, causing Kurt to playfully roll his eyes at what a gentleman Blaine was being, causing Blaine to laugh again.

  
"This is perfect, Blaine," Kurt grins, reaching across the table to lock their hands together.

  
"I know. This night has been magical," Blaine agrees, sighing heavily. They stare at each other for a few more seconds, Kurt rubbing the back of Blaine's hands with his thumbs carefully.

  
"Thank you, Kurt."

  
"For what?" Kurt scrunches brows together, his head cocking to the side.

  
"For everything. I know this past year has been hard," Blaine says, his smile fading, as does Kurt's. "I know it's been hard on you too, and I'm so grateful to have you still. A lot of people would have walked away and you didn't. I didn't really think you ever would, but I would have understood if you did."

  
"I could never leave you like that. I really couldn't," Kurt says, shaking his head. Blaine nods slowly.

  
"I know and I'm just so happy you didn't, because you're my life, Kurt. You're everything to me. Without you, I feel empty. I don't know what I would do if something happened to you or if I lost you, so thank you for being her for me. Never leaving my side no matter how hard it was to stay."

  
"I'd do it again too, Blaine. I would do it over and over again, because I love you too," Kurt sniffles. Blaine's lips curl into a small smile, and he's bringing Kurt's hand to his lips, kissing his knuckles gently as if it was made of glass.

  
"I'm so lucky to have you," Blaine breathes. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm so happy to have you in my life."

  
"Awe, Blaine. I'm happy to have you too," Kurt grins, tears in his eyes. Blaine sets their hands back on the small table, squeezing Kurt's tightly.

  
"Good, because I don't think you could get rid of me even if you tried," He smiles, causing Kurt to hang his head with laughter and shake his head.

  
"Way to ruin a nice moment," He teases, making Blaine laugh lightly, shaking his head with amusement.

 

-0-

 

As soon as they're through the doorway of their hotel suite and the door is shut, Kurt is pushing Blaine against the wall, tugging at the hem of his shirt and pressing a hard kiss to his soft lips. Blaine laughs through the kiss, untying his own bow tie and tossing it aside.

  
"Eager, are we?" Blaine teases.

  
"Always," Kurt hums, opening the first three buttons of Blaine's button down and latching his lips to the skin, sucking rather hard on it to create a nice bruise. Blaine cocks his head to the side, giving Kurt all the room he needed, while he pulled at Kurt's shirt, untucking it from his pants and sliding his hand down them to cup his bare ass. He moans when Kurt releases his lips with a loud pop, licking over the spot with his tongue. Blaine pulls the boy flush to himself, squeezing his ass tightly, earning a yelp from his boyfriend.

  
"A year, Blaine," Kurt groans, continuing with Blaine's buttons, until his chest was open, so he could run his hand over his torso. It wasn't as toned as it used to be, but Kurt didn't seem to mind too much.

  
"I know. God, I've missed you so much," Blaine agrees locking his lips with Kurt's, his brows furrowed, sucking on Kurt's bottom lip. Kurt moans, undoing Blaine's belt and sliding it from its loops.

  
They weren't sex addicts, but at least every other week or so, they would get enough alone time to do something, whether that be a quick hand job, a blow job, or actual sex, it was something, but with Blaine being in a hospital, it was impossible. Plus, with Blaine being sick, they didn't think about it as often as they used to. They had bigger problems to deal with besides blue balls.

  
"I love you," Blaine breathes, pulling back from Kurt.

  
"I love you too," Kurt nods, his lips red and swollen from the intense kiss.

  
"Did you bring anything?" Blaine asks, his hands still shoved down Kurt's pants, right where Kurt wanted them.

  
"Of course," Kurt nods, pulling back enough to force Blaine's hands out of his pants. He quickly went to his suitcase that was on the couch, and Blaine removed his shirt the rest of the way, tossing it aside and worked on his belt. Kurt lays a full bottle of strawberry flavored lube on the bed, along with a few condoms. Blaine grins, looking up at his boyfriend, who started to remove his own shirt, letting it fall to the floor with his neckerchief.

  
Kurt shimmies from his tight pants, knowing there's no way Blaine would get them off himself, and tosses them aside, his boxers going with them. He tugs Blaine down by the loops of his slacks and onto the bed, so Blaine was kneeling between Kurt's legs, his hands on either side of his head.

  
"Kiss me," Kurt begs. Of course, Blaine obliges, attacking Kurt's lips with his own, their tongues fighting for dominance, both of their brows furrowed. The only sounds were soft hums, moans of pleasure, and their smacking lips. After two years, they were acquainted with each other's mouths and bodies quite nicely, knowing where their pressure points were. So, when Blaine ran his tongue across Kurt's upper lip, it made him hum in pleasure, shivering slightly at the sensation. Blaine grins with satisfaction, their lips pulling back with a loud smack, but only so Blaine could kiss his way down Kurt's neck, licking in a few places, all the way down to his chest, where his nipples stood pale and pink.  
Blaine swirls his tongue around his left one with practiced ease, causing Kurt to moan nicely. Blaine could feel Kurt's hard-on against his lower stomach, and grinned. He then wraps his lips around his entire nipple, sucking lightly, and even using a bit of teeth, much to Kurt's pleasure.

  
The former Warbler pulls back, but just so he could pull off his slacks, leaving him in his boxers. He was so caught up, both of them were, that neither realized something was missing. Blaine just reached for the lube, opening the cap and putting a nice dollop onto his fingers, warming up the cream.

  
Seeing Kurt unfold beneath him, his hair disheveled and practically begging for him, caused Blaine's heart to race. Kurt opened his legs wide, wrapping them around Blaine's waist, allowing Blaine to press one digit to Kurt's tight ring muscles.

  
"Blaine, hurry," Kurt moans, wrapping his arms around Blaine's neck. Blaine smiles, pushing one digit into his entrance, making Kurt's back arch off the mattress, missing the familiar feeling. It had been far too long. They did have to deal with a lot of adult issues, but they were both still hormonal teenagers.

  
"God, you are so beautiful," Blaine promises, kissing his bare shoulder carefully, distracting his boyfriend from the slight burn as he prepped him.

  
"I love you," Kurt breathes. "Put in another," He encourages. Blaine nods, adding a second finger, scissoring them together to try and stretch him as much as possible.

  
"I love you too," Blaine promises, starting to suck on Kurt's neck, making sure he'd have to wear another neckerchief tomorrow and probably the next day.

  
"Okay, I'm ready. Please," Kurt begs, his eyes shut tight. Blaine hums, inserting one more digit, stretching him a bit more before pulling his hand out totally. Kurt wimpers at the loss, his legs falling limp on either side of Blaine's hips. The former Warbler wipes his fingers on the sheets, going to roll a condom on, but finally realizing he wasn't the least bit hard. He scrunches his brows. He was so caught up, he didn't even realize.

  
Clearly embarrassed, he tried tugging on it a few times, trying to make it work before Kurt noticed, but it wouldn't work. He rolls his eyes, trying again, almost painfully.  
Kurt groans loudly, looking down at his boyfriend sitting between his legs.

  
"Blaine-oh," Kurt's face falls, realizing the problem. Blaine looked a little angry, but mostly embarrassed. This was not something a teenager usually had a problem with, but it quickly hit Kurt. Chemo. That was one of the side effects.

  
"What the fuck?" Blaine groans.

  
"Baby, it's fine," Kurt says, sitting up. "Look-"

  
"No, I want to do this, just give me a second," Blaine tries again, tugging a few more times, but getting nothing.

  
"Blaine, please, just-"

  
"What the fuck!? Kurt, why-"

  
"Chemo, Blaine. It was on the list of side effects Dr. Thomas mentioned. He said it could be a while before-"

  
"No, fuck that! I'm done with cancer. Just lay back down. Kiss me again," Blaine rolled his eyes, going to kiss his boyfriend again, but Kurt stopped him.

  
"Blaine, stop. Just take a deep breath. We still have another six days left. We'll try again. We'll-"

  
"No! I'm not doing that. I've waited a goddamn year for this! Cancer has taken enough from me!" Blaine tries again, tugging a few more times. Kurt scrunches his face, knowing it must have been painful, seeing how hard he was tugging, so he just put his hand over Blaine's causing him to finally stop.

  
"Blaine, you're going to hurt yourself. Just stop!" Kurt begs, lifting Blaine's chin with his thumb forefinger. Blaine had tears in his eyes. His boyfriend shakes his head, brushing Kurt off of him, and swinging his legs over the side of the bed, leaning over to put his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

  
"I'm so pathetic! God, this is so embarrassing!" Blaine shakes his head, his voice getting cutting off with tears. Kurt sighs heavily, moving so he's sitting beside his boyfriend. He wraps one arm around his waist and takes Blaine's cheek in his palm, making the boy look at him in the eyes.

  
"It's not embarrassing. This is in no way your fault. You're not pathetic. This was something we knew was going to happen. It slipped our minds. We got caught up. It's okay, Blaine. Really. I'm not mad at all. We still have half of our vacation left to try, okay? It's not a big deal," Kurt assures him, his eyes serious. Blaine swallows thickly, sniffling back his tears.

  
"I'm sorry, Kurt. I'm so sorry. This night was supposed to be perfect and-"

  
"This night is still perfect. Sex doesn't have to happen to make it perfect, okay? We still had an amazing night. I think we should order room service. Get a couple of sundaes, and watch some bad reality television. That sounds just as perfect to me," Kurt assures him.

  
Really, Kurt was a little disappointed. How could he not be? It's been a year since he's been intimate with his boyfriend and he missed being with him like that, but it wasn't Blaine's fault that some parts of him didn't want to work. It wasn't because Kurt wasn't attractive enough and it wasn't because of the setting. No, it was stupid cancer again. God, cancer was such a cock block.

  
"Are you sure?" Blaine sniffles.

  
"I don't think there's another option," Kurt teases, running his thumb across the apple of Blaine's cheek. Blaine chuckles lightly, a small smile grazing his lips. Kurt would take that as a victory.

 

"Sundaes it is then?" Kurt questions, to which Blaine nods.

  
"As long as they're hot fudge brownie," Blaine teases, making Kurt nod.

  
"Of course. There's no other way to have them," He grins, pecking Blaine's lips. "I love you, you know that, right?"

  
"Even with an uncooperative penis?" He jokes, making them both burst out into laughter.

  
"Yes, even with that," Kurt nods, pecking his lips once more. Blaine smiles.

  
"I love you too. You and your beautiful, working penis. Even if I am totally jealous."

  
"Blaine," Kurt groans, hiding his face into the crook of Blaine's neck. "You can be so weird," He adds, wrapping his arms around his neck, tugging them onto the bed with a flop. Blaine laughs as he's pulled down.

  
"I'm serious. It is very beautiful and I am totally jealous!"

  
"Blaine! Stop it!" Kurt laughs, his arm wrapping around Blaine's chest and his leg around Blaine's calf. "You're being weird," he protests, nuzzling his nose against his shoulder to try and hide his furious blushing. Blaine laughs at the other boy.

  
"Okay, okay. I'll stop loving you so much," Blaine teases, turning his head to plant a soft kiss onto his boyfriend's forehead.

  
"You're such a dork," Kurt giggles, shaking his head.

  
"You love me though. You said it yourself."

  
"Yeah," Kurt sighs heavily. "I guess I did," he jokes, shrugging his shoulders. Blaine rolls his eyes, shaking his head. Kurt laughs, kissing his cheek once more, before pushing himself off the bed. "You wanna go get our robes and I'll order?"

  
"Yeah, sounds like a good idea," Blaine nods, obviously staring at Kurt's ass as he stood under the TV, looking over the room service menu. On his way to the bathroom, Blaine made sure to smack Kurt playfully on his cheeks, causing the boy to squeal with surprise, a large smile on his face.

  
Blaine pads over to the bathroom door, grabbing both of the white fluffy robes, with the hotel logo on the left breast pocket, and slipping into one, tying it in the front. He helped Kurt into the other one while he was on the phone, knowing damn well he could do himself, but wanting to help anyway.

  
As Kurt continues to order their sundaes, Blaine wraps his arms around his waist, tugging him close to his chest, his chin locked over his shoulder. Kurt smiles, using his free hand to rub over Blaine's that were connect over his chest.

  
Blaine doesn't know how Kurt could be so awesome and understanding about everything, but he loved every second of it. Kurt never made him feel bad for the things he couldn't control, even if Blaine made himself feel bad about it. Kurt was like magic sometimes. Perfect in Blaine's eyes.

 

-0-

 

"You did ask Damien and Marcus, right?" Kurt worries, squeezing Blaine's hand tightly, pausing just outside the double wide doors. Blaine laughs, nodding his head.

  
"Yes, I told them I wanted one. I told them what I wanted and they said it was a great idea," Blaine nods. "You don't have to get one, you know," he adds, noting the true fear and anxiety in Kurt's eyes.

  
"I know, but if I don't do it now, I never will, and I truly do want one. I'll just chicken out if I wait," Kurt pouts. Blaine smiles gently, pressing a soft kiss to Kurt's temple before tugging him through the doorway and into the parlor.

  
The sound of tattoo machines and the smell of fresh ink fills the room, causing Blaine to smile and for Kurt's hand to sweat. Blaine wasn't worried in the slightest. He's had chemo everyday for the last year, radiation, and quite a few surgeries too. He wasn't worried about a tattoo.

  
"Hello, how can I help you?" A woman with a pair of tight black jeans and a head full of blue hair asks, showing off her tongue piercing as she talked. She had quite a few tattoos as well, almost an entire sleeve of them, so she was no rookie at this.

  
"We have an appointment. Blaine Anderson and Kurt Hummel," Blaine says, squeezing Kurt's hand tightly as they approach the counter. The woman goes to the computer, making a few clicks before nodding her head.

  
"Yeah, you're right here. We can go sit in the waiting room and we can go over a couple of designs you guys want," She offers, making them both nod. She grabs a sketchbook from the behind the counter, along with a pencil, and leads them over to the window by the waiting room. The three sit around a small coffee table, with Kurt clinging to Blaine as they sat on the leather couch together. Kurt was obviously terrified to get this done. He hated needles anyway, so he wasn't very fond of having one go into his skin at an impossibly fast rate, but he really did want a tattoo.

  
"I'm Maria. I'll be your artist today. Both of yours. So, what were you thinking?" The girl asks, looking between the two. The idea stuck in Blaine's head spills from his mouth easily, explaining it to the last detail. The artist draws it to a T, making sure to get everything Blaine wanted in the way he expected it to be done, much to his pleasure.

  
When the sketch was finished, Blaine's lips curled into a tight smile. This is exactly what he wanted. Right down to the last detail.

  
"Perfect," Blaine nods and even Kurt smiles, knowing it's what Blaine has talked about for months now and seeing it on paper made it very real. Soon, it would be in his skin forever.

  
"Great! And you?" She nods towards Kurt, moving to a new sketch page. Kurt's idea comes out a little bit slower, but Blaine knew it was from nerves, not because he didn't know what he wanted. His hand never leaves his, allowing him to hold it however he wanted. Kurt clung to it tightly, like it was going to slip away if he eased up.

  
"Are you sure you want one?" Blaine asks worriedly, seeing the fear in Kurt's eyes.

  
"Yes. One hundred percent," Kurt says, without missing a beat. "I'm just nervous is all," He shrugs, swallowing thickly.

  
"Most people are," Maria says softly, brushing a few stray eraser pieces from her sketch page, before showing the second sketch to Kurt. The countertenor smiles at it and so does Blaine.

  
"That's great," He nods enthusiastically.

  
"Alright, I'll go get these drawn up, so we can place them on your skin and we can get started," she says, closing her sketch book, before leaving to the back of the parlor. Blaine smiles, turning to Kurt, who was bouncing his knee nervously.

  
"You'll hold me during it, right?" Kurt asks, biting his bottom lips nervously. Blaine chuckles.

  
"Of course," He nods his head, leaning over to press a soft kiss to his lips. Kurt smiles, his shoulders relaxing slightly.

  
"I wanna go first. If I see you cry like a baby while getting yours, I won't get mine," Kurt teases, nudging his boyfriend in the shoulder. Blaine rolls his eyes playfully.

  
"Fine," he teases, squeezing his hand tightly.

  
They wait patiently for their artist to come back, but it doesn't take too long. Soon, she's coming back, beckoning for them to follow her. Of course, they oblige, and follow her to an open cubicle.

  
"Who's first?" She asks, getting her equipment set up.

  
"Me," Kurt says, swallowing thickly.

  
"Alright, where do you want it?"

  
"Wrist," Kurt says, pulling up his long sleeve to reveal his left wrist. She nods, taking out a white piece of paper with purple ink on one side. Kurt sits down in the black leather chair, allowing her to line it up with his skin, right where he wanted it.

  
When she finally peels the paper off with a satisfied smile, Kurt's shoulders relax. Soon, the words would be tattooed permanently to his skin.

  
"Does that look good?" She asks, seeing the happiness in Kurt's eyes. He looks over the words once more.

  
In cursive writing, that would soon be black, it read, "Today is a gift" and the 'T' in 'gift' swirled off to form a ribbon at the end. It's just what he wanted. As soon as Blaine said he was thinking about getting a tattoo, Kurt knew he wanted one too and this was it. This is exactly what he wanted. It was simple enough for him, but it said enough as well.

  
"Yes, It's perfect," Kurt nods. Maria smiles, getting the rest of her things ready, allowing Kurt to get comfortable. Blaine slides in on a stool beside his boyfriend, holding his right hand carefully, squeezing tightly.

  
"It's gonna be fine," Blaine assures him softly, to which Kurt nods, taking in deep breaths.

  
"Ready?" Maria asks, a large grin on her face. Kurt nods, continuing to take deep breaths to calm himself as the tattoo machine started up.

  
As soon as the needle is pressed against his skin, Kurt hisses and squeezes Blaine's hand, but is quickly relaxing, getting used to the pain. Blaine smiles with pride for the man, pressing a soft kiss to the back of his hand.

  
They sit like that for the entire tattoo, which doesn't take more then twenty minutes considering there's no coloring or shading to be done. Blaine just holds Kurt's hand and whispers reassurances when the pain gets really bad.

  
Eventually, it's done though and Kurt is extremely pleased with his new addition and quickly sends off a picture to his dad.

  
Blaine's takes a lot longer, but it didn't hurt as bad for him, because his was on his upper arm and he was used to most needles. Kurt still held his hand and let him squeeze it as tightly as he wanted to when the tattoo was getting filled in. Every once in a while Blaine would hiss or groan in pain, but it was all worth it when Blaine saw the end product in the mirror.

  
He actually started to cry and Kurt had to rub his back gently to soothe him, even if he had tears of his own in his eyes.

  
"It's perfect. Thank you," Blaine smiles, never taking his eyes off the design. It was a periwinkle ribbon on his skin, with the words "I'm the hero of this story" across the top of it. It's just what he wanted and more. It was crazy to see it in real life and he was so happy it was done.

  
Kurt snaps a few pictures of it before Maria wraps it up in clear wrapping, just like she did for Kurt's, and Kurt sends them off to Damien, Marcus, and Cooper.

  
They were just as happy with it as Blaine was. 

 


	32. Chapter Thirty-Two: Home/Epilouge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, this is it. This is the last chapter and I am so heartbroken! Oh my God! I kind of want to cry, but I'm happy to have this out there. I have had this thought in my head for almost a year and now it is done and out there. The response I have received has been amazing. I never thought I would get this, so thank you so much. Thank you so much for staying with me and supporting me through Blaine's journey and mine. Thank and enjoy the last one.

  
"Kurt, that's my dad." Blaine was blatantly staring at across the airport, watching a man that looked oddly like him and wearing a dark business suit, laughing with a few other men.

  
"What?" Kurt snaps his head up from the luggage belt, fear starting in his perfect, blue eyes. Blaine nods across the way, through the crowd of people, and Blaine swears he heard Kurt's stomach hit the floor. "Are Damien and Marcus almost here?" He asked worriedly.

  
"I-I don't know," Blaine pulls out his phone from his pocket, and switches it back on, waiting for it to let him make a call.

  
"Let's go sit somewhere," Kurt says, not taking his eyes off the older Anderson. He didn't want to lose track of him.

  
"Okay." He doesn't argue. He just follows Kurt through the crowd, hoping that Mr. Anderson doesn't turn around to see them or one of his buddies don't recognize Blaine. The last thing they wanted was for James to see them and cause a scene.

  
Blaine walks with his head down, waiting so he could unlock his phone.

  
Kurt tries not to speak too much when they're this close to Mr. Anderson, in fear he'll recognize the voice, so he just brushes past people, with his suitcase behind him, to clear a path for Blaine.

  
When getting off the plane from New York, they didn't think they would have to deal with Anderson drama so soon. They figured they'd just get picked up by Damien and/or Marcus and they could go back to Blaine's to finish the Gossip Girl season they started in New York.

  
Eventually, they make it to the rows of black, leather seats and Kurt sits down, Blaine taking the seat beside him.

  
"They're almost here," Blaine announces, looking over the missed texts from Damien. Kurt nods, instinctively going to slip his hand through his boyfriend's. Blaine watches it carefully. Kurt must has gotten used to their freedom in New York, because Kurt didn't even notice. They never showed any PDA, unless they were at the hospital, because while the occasional homophobic person would see them, it's not like a crowded airport.

  
"Sorry, I forgot we're in Ohio again," Kurt goes to take his hand back, noting the way Blaine was staring at their hands.

  
"No," Blaine shakes his head, taking his hand back, and sliding it between the two of them. Kurt gives him a sheepish smile, squeezing his fingers tightly. Blaine returns the smile, making sure that their hands are a little hidden behind Kurt's suitcase in front of them. He was already seeing his dad, he didn't want to deal with more homophobes.   
It seemed to be too late though. Someone had already seen them, because soon a man, who was a few seats down, buried in his phone was tsking and shaking his head, scooting down the line a bit more.

  
Kurt visibly shifts and tries to pull his hand back, but Blaine just squeezed it tighter. As selfish as it sounded, he needed his anchor.

  
"It's okay," Blaine assures him. Kurt stops, looking at Blaine as if he was wondering where his head went. Blaine keeps his face firm until Kurt relaxes slightly, nodding his head.  
"Yeah," He breathes, allowing Blaine to pull their hands into his lap and hold them there.

  
"Blaine."

  
At his name, Blaine snaps his head up, his smile instantly fading and his shoulders going slack. As expected, it was James, looking ever so casual, with his hands tucked deep inside the pockets of his slacks, and his coat unbuttoned.

  
James approaches them slowly, his footsteps relaxed, but Kurt and Blaine both visibly tense.

  
"Were you going to leave without saying hello to your dear old dad?" James asks, a small smirk on his face. Blaine doesn't say anything, and instead swallows thickly. He was praying to a God he doesn't believe in that this wasn't real. That this was not happening.

  
"Hello," he says, getting to his feet again, Kurt not far behind him. He grabs the end of his suitcase handle and starts to pull it away, but James put a hand on his chest.  
"That was rather rude. To just blow me off like that? Leave me here," he says, his grip tightening on his shirt.

  
"What the hell? Let him go," Kurt tries, as if snapping back to reality. James had Blaine's shirt in a vice hold and he looked like he was going to hit him and Blaine looked as pale as a sheet and his eyes were wide with fear. Kurt puts a hand on Blaine's shoulder, and Blaine tried to pull back from his father, slightly struggling against him.

  
James takes Kurt's wrist in his hand, causing Kurt to cringe from the amount of muscle this man had on him. Blaine's eyes were still wide though, too terrified to do anything.  
"Your words don't mean much when I'm out here, huh?" The businessman smirks, keeping Kurt's hand low, so no one could quite see what he was doing, but Kurt was still trying to rip his hand out. James's grip was incredibly painful and was sure to bruise tomorrow.

  
"Talk crap to me on the phone. Call me names. Make a fool out of me. Yeah, I don't see you doing that out here, huh?" He scoffs. Blaine swallows, his mouth slightly open. "What's wrong Blaine? You look like you've just seen a ghost," He chuckles. Eventually, Kurt does get his grip from James's, feeling it slacken when he talked to Blaine.

  
"Blaine, let's go, please," Kurt says, putting his arm around his and tugging him in the right direction. James lets go of his shirt, but only to grab him by his elbow and yank his son back, almost causing Kurt to hit the floor, along with Blaine. Blaine struggles against him.

  
"We're in a public place. If someone sees you, you'll be out of here, so quick. This not the place to do this," Kurt says to James, feeling his heart beat faster and faster with each word. James doesn't take his eyes off Blaine as he speaks.

  
"You think I don't know that, Kurt? This is my son, I know what I'm doing. They'll believe me when I say I didn't do anything, especially after finding out you two consider yourself a couple. I have the upper hand here," James laughs, looking straight into Blaine's eyes as he spoke. Kurt swallows thickly.

  
"Hey!" At the sound of another loud, familiar voice, Kurt visibly relaxes, turning his head to see Damien pushing through people to get to his kid. James continues to stare into Blaine's hazel eyes and Blaine stares right back, challenging his dilated ones and smelling the whiskey on his breath considering it was just inches from his own.

  
"I'm not your son," Blaine says, shaking his head.

  
"As much as I wish you weren't. You are. Despite what I said. You're just a fag is all and we aren't done here."

  
"Get the hell off of him before I beat your ass into the carpet," Damien says coming between the two Andersons, his face full of warranted fury. "I'm just looking for a reason to do it, Anderson." James slowly lets the boy go, and Blaine yanks his arm away, rubbing at his upper arm carefully.

  
"I don't know what possessed you to think talking to him or even looking at him is okay, because it's not. I have enough proof of domestic abuse, child abuse, and assault to put you in prison. So, I really think you should stay the hell away from him," Damien suggests, crossing his arms over his chest. Blaine's never seen him this pissed in his life. Damien was already tall, but he looked even taller now, having a few inches on James, who didn't look scared enough.

  
"Who the hell are you?"

  
"You were probably too drunk off your ass to remember me, but judging by your breath, reminding you won't make a difference," Damien says with furrowed brows, staring straight into James's furious eyes, challenging him in a way no one has before.

  
"You obviously weren't important enough to remember."

  
"I don't think that was the problem," Damien scoffs, a slightly amused smile on his face. "Don't touch or come near him again, okay? I don't care what the circumstance is. You will not come near my son." If it was any other situation, Blaine would have smiled, but as he was tucked into Kurt's side, trying to calm down, Damien calling him his son didn't register. It just seemed normal.

  
"Your son?" James cocks his head to the side.

  
"We've taken care of him better in the past year than you have his entire life. I think I get the right to call him that," Damien bites. Wanting to have the last word, he turns around towards Blaine and Kurt, taking Blaine's suitcase and ushering them out the door, making sure to throw up his middle finger to the older Anderson.

  
"Thank you. I don't know what happened. I just froze," Blaine says, still tucked neatly under Kurt's arm.

  
"It's okay," Damien says, squeezing his shoulder tightly. Blaine switches arms and is quickly attacking Damien for a hug. "Oof," The nurse grunts, giving himself a few seconds to react before he's squeezing him back.

  
"Thank you. So goddamn much," Blaine whispers.

  
"How many times do I have to tell you not to thank me? You're ours now," Damien says, rubbing his back comfortingly. Blaine scoffs, pulling back and quicky linking his hand with Kurt's, feeling bad for abandoning him so quickly and with no warning like that, but judging by the smile on his face, he didn't mind. Blaine just nods and they continue out the sliding doors and to the parking lot.

  
Damien takes Kurt and Blaine's bags and sets them in the trunk of the Subaru for them, allowing them to slide in back together, while he gets into the driver's side.   
Luckily, Marcus thought about them wanting to sit next to each other before and took out Thomas's car seat. Marcus always thought about the details, while Damien just seemed to forget them sometimes, looking at the basic idea.

  
Blaine automatically scoots into the middle seat, leaning his head into Kurt's lap, letting out a deep breath. It's been awhile since Kurt's seen him like this. He was obviously shaken up, but he also looked like he was holding back tears.

  
When Pam dropped off that letter, Kurt knew that it had worried Blaine ever since. He didn't want to see his dad and now here they were, having survived it and he still looked terrified.

  
Kurt automatically starts to card his fingers through his hair, what was there anyway. Blaine sucks into a deep breath again, letting his eyes fall shut. They still had an hour or so until they got home, so he would use that time for a small nap.

  
His boyfriend just keeps running his hands over his head, petting gently, but starts to stare out the window, watching as Damien pulled onto the highway. Kurt watches the different cars pass by and listened as Damien started playing with the radio, switching between a few different stations. He smiles gently as Damien finally picked a station, playing the famous Katy Perry song. _Teenage Dream._

  
"What's that smile for?" Damien chuckles, looking at the boy in the rear view mirror. Kurt turns to face the front, noting the way Blaine was already out cold.

  
"I know it sounds stupid to have a love story already, but when Blaine and I first met, he sang that song, basically to me," Kurt shrugs, never taking his eyes off his boyfriend.   
"It't not stupid," Damien shakes his head. "Marcus and I had ours when we were that young too," Damien explains. Kurt looks up.

  
"What was it?"

  
"Well, it's not as romantic as yours. I was new, just starting as a junior, and I was totally lost. We went to large school. Anyway, I saw him and I thought he was kind of cute, so I went to go up to him, but he stopped at his locker, and when he opened it, just as I opened my mouth, he hit my nose." Damien laughs at the memory, shaking his head. Kurt laughs too.

  
"That sounds like it's something out of romantic comedy," Kurt teases.

  
"Yeah, except there was a lot of blood and the entire collar of my shirt was stained with it. He walked me to the bathroom and kept apologizing. I had to call my dad to bring me new clothes." The more he talked about the memory, the brighter his smile got. It made Kurt's heart beat fast. Knowing that even after so many years, Damien still got that smile when talking about Marcus, gave him hope for him and Blaine.

  
"Did he just slip his number into the tissues or something?" Kurt chuckles, making Damien do the same and shake his head.

  
"No, but he sat with me until my dad got there with my clothes and kept apologizing. He helped me clean up the best he could. The next day though, he gave me a box of chocolates because he felt horrible."

  
Kurt laughs. He could just see teenage Marcus doing that. Marcus always looked kind of like the cute, awkward professor, so it wasn't hard to imagine.

  
"He was terribly sweet to me. He showed me around school and we ate lunch together after that and it turned out, he didn't have very many friends anyway and spent his lunch with the English teacher. It worked out anyway and now here we are," He shrugs, his smile never leaving his face. Kurt smiles too, looking down at his own boyfriend, leaning down to press a soft kiss to his temple. Blaine squirms a little, but doesn't wake up. He really just ends up nuzzling his nose against the leg of Kurt's jeans.

  
"Cherish these times, Kurt. I know they're hard. I know this year has been hard, but these are the times that will make you stronger, stronger than you've ever been," Damien says, looking at the pair in the mirror, his smile fading a little. Kurt nods slowly, agreeing with his words.

  
"I will."

 

-0-

 

"Blaine!" Damien calls as he walks through the front door. Marcus and Thomas were curled up on the couch together, with Thomas under his arm, watching the Disney movie intently. Damien smiles at the scene, dusting his shoes off on the entrance carpet.

  
"He's in the kitchen," Marcus says, nodding towards the room. As if on cue, the boy comes out, a glass of water in one hand and a granola bar in the other.

  
"What's up?" He asks, setting his glass down on the side table at the couch, making sure to put it on a coaster. Thomas was already on his feet, bouncing to get into his father's arms. Damien happily puts him on his hip, attacking his neck with kisses, to get the boy to giggle. Of course, it works.

  
"Hey, Monkey!" He says through his son's giggles, who just cowers into his arms. Marcus and Blaine smile, Blaine waiting patiently.

  
"Blaine, I got you something," He holds out a small manila envelope to the boy, who furrows his brows, but takes it. Damien carefully tosses Thomas back over the couch and kisses his husband hello from the back of the couch.

  
"Oh my God! What is that?" Blaine says, shooting up from the arm of the couch, his eyes wide as he looked over the pictures. Damien laughs, toeing off his shoes.

  
"That was in your stomach," he replies casually.

  
"That's my tumor?" Blaine scrunches his face, looking at the first picture more closely. It was his first endoscopy, with his name in the right hand corner. Anderson, Blaine D.. It looked disgusting. It was basically just a lump sitting in his stomach, big and round with reds, pinks, and a little yellow in it.

  
"Yup. If you look through them, you see your progress, and eventually when it's pulled out," Damien says, crossing his arms over his chest. Blaine looks at him wearily, but eventually flips to the next one. The next one looked similar, but eventually it starts to turn a little smaller, but not by much. The last one made Blaine want to vomit.

  
It wasn't an endoscopy at all. No, it was his tumor sitting on a table, next to his old stomach. It looked small next to his stomach and it kind of pissed Blaine off knowing something like that could cause so many problems. The tumor had a few black pieces in it, but for the most part it was pretty bloody and had mostly yellow and pinks in it. It made his new stomach turn and his lip turn up with disgust.

  
"Why would you show me these?" Blaine asks, shaking his head, passing them off to Marcus, who was making a grabby hand for them.

  
"Sometimes it's kind of cool to look at those. Figured, eventually, you could show your kids and maybe freak Kurt out a little," He teases, nudging his shoulder, making Blaine chuckle.

  
"Yeah, I think that would freak him out," He admits, shaking his head. "How did you even get those?"

  
"Dr. Thomas gave them to me. I asked for them, and even though he wasn't supposed to, since I'm technically not your legal guardian, he gave them to me. I wanted to show you. I think it's kind of interesting," He shrugs, looking of Marcus's shoulder at the pictures. Luckily, Thomas was a little preoccupied with the movie on TV to care about a few nasty pictures. That kid would probably have nightmares after seeing those.

  
"Thank you?" Blaine teases.

  
"You're welcome," Damien replies.  
"This is just straight up gross," Marcus shakes his head. "How do you find these interesting?" He questions his husband, slipping the pictures back into the manila envelope and handing it back to Blaine.

  
"I'm a nurse," Damien says simply, shrugging his shoulders.

  
"It's kind of annoying to know this thing cause so much trouble. So much vomiting and pain, and nasty stuff. Oh yeah, and it almost killed me," Blaine grumbles, furrowing his brows as he looked down at the still close envelope.

  
"Right, but it's even better to know it didn't. Because you didn't let it. I think that's cooler," Damien says, crossing his arms over his chest. Blaine smiles gently, a small swell of pride starting in his chest. He did beat it. He didn't let it kill him. That was pretty cool.

  
"What are we doing for dinner?" Damien asks, starting for the kitchen.

  
"I ordered pizza for us and a Caesar salad for Blaine, because I didn't feel like cooking," Marcus shrugs, looking to his husband sheepishly.

  
"Solid," Damien teases, instead turning to sit on the couch beside his husband and youngest son. Marcus nods in agreement.

  
"Well, I'm going to go Skype Kurt and freak him out with these pictures," Blaine announces, grabbing his water and granola bar from the side table.

  
"Have fun!" Damien teases, allowing Blaine to hike up the stairs to his room.

 

-0-

 

Marcus didn't want to coddle Blaine or Thomas, but today was the exception. Thomas was starting the first grade and Blaine was starting his senior year. He wanted to wake them up himself.

  
Which, wasn't that hard considering, for the second time that week, Thomas had crawled into bed with his older brother, lying on his stomach while he slept, spread out like a starfish. Blaine on the other hand was curled up on his side, his brows furrowed together and slightly snoring, getting a little drool on his pillow.

  
Marcus chuckles at the sight, kneeling beside Thomas first. He would be a lot easier to wake up. Blaine was always bad with waking up in the mornings.

  
"Hey, buddy," Marcus says, kneeling on the edge of the bed and rubbing his back carefully. Thomas smacks his lips together.

  
"Daddy," He says, blinking his eyes open.

  
"Yeah, it's me, Buddy. Come on. You have to get dressed and get ready for school. Papa's made you pancakes." Thomas gasps at his words, sitting up.

  
"Really?"

  
"Yeah, but you have to go get dressed first," Marcus chuckles. Thomas nod quickly, sliding off of Blaine's bed and hurrying off to his bedroom. The dad grins after him, moving to the other side of the bed, shaking Blaine's shoulder.

  
"Blaine, it's the morning. You gotta get up. Kurt's gonna be here in an hour or so. You still gotta get dressed, eat something, and Damien wants pictures," Marcus says, rubbing his should comfortingly, trying to transition him into awareness, just like he did with Thomas.

  
Blaine blinks his eyes open, slowly coming to.

  
"Wait, what time is it? My alarm didn't go off," He practically shoots up, almost knock Marcus down in the process, looking at the clock.

  
"No, not yet. I wanted to wake you up, so I woke you up a few minutes before," Marcus smiles sheepishly. Blaine chuckles, relaxing instantly, knowing he wasn't late.

  
"Is it bad that I just wanna go back to sleep?" Blaine sighs heavily, wiping sleep from his eyes.

  
"Nervous?"

  
"Terrified," Blaine admits, causing Marcus's small smile to disappear.

  
"Hey, everything's gonna be alright. I promise. You wanted normal, right? Well, school is normal," he shrugs.

  
"I know, but everyone knows and now I'm just the kid who had cancer," Blaine groans, shaking his head.

  
"You are so much more than that. You friends will see that, okay?" he says, ducking his head to meet Blaine's eyes. Blaine nods slowly, letting out a small yawn. Marcus manages a small smile.

  
"Good, now get dressed. You need to eat before you go and drink some water," he instructs, patting his leg. Blaine smiles gently, nodding his head.

  
As Marcus leaves the room, Blaine turns over, switching on the bedside lamp, that lit almost the entire room, and swung his legs out of bed, stretching his arms over his head. Senior year. One more year at this school, then he was in New York with Kurt. Butterflies grow in his belly at the thought and a smile grazes his lips. He shivers, pushing off his knees and going over to his closet, picking out some clothes to wear.

  
He settles for a pair of light grey chinos, a green and white plaid short sleeve button down, and a pair of green suspenders.

  
The teen shuffles into his bathroom, quickly changing into the new clothes, them fitting a little loose, considering they were pre-cancer, but they didn't look too bad on him.

  
His curls are starting to sprout again, but he leaves them alone. He truly leaves them for the first time when going to school. By the time he gets out, he's already wasted fifteen minutes, so he opens his drawer of bow ties, shuffling them around until he finds a dark green one with brown specks, tying it around his neck and under his collar.

  
As he looks over himself in the mirror, he starts to get excited. Yes, he was still terribly nervous, but things were going back to normal and he was going to school again, with Kurt by his side.

  
Until Blaine can start driving again, which won't be until October, Damien or Marcus would take him, but today was the first day and Kurt wanted to drive twenty minutes out of Lima, only to drive another thirty to school. He wanted the first day to perfect, and it wouldn't be until they at least sang one morning duet together.

  
Blaine smiles at his reflection, spraying on his favorite cologne, and getting down the stairs, almost getting knocked over by an excited Thomas, who was ready for Damien's pancakes. The boy chuckles, slowly making his way down the stairs and into the kitchen, where Marcus and Damien already were, eating their own breakfast.

  
Blaine takes a pancake too, but has to eat it dry. Syrup was still too sugary and butter was too fat still. He didn't mind though, so he happily ate it with the other three.

  
"Alright, ten minutes until you guys have to be out of here, and I want pictures," Damien says, eating his last bite, waiting for the other three to finish before taking their plates to the sink as well.

  
The two kids nod and they both slide out from their chairs, heading to the entryway to slip on their shoes. Blaine opts for a pair of Tom's, like normal, and Marcus helps Thomas into a pair of sneakers. Damien grabs both their bags and hands them off to the right kid.

  
"Alright, get on the porch and look cute," Damien says patting Blaine on the back, to usher him out faster. Blaine chuckles lightly, but nods his head and the two kids walk out to the small porch, Marcus and Damien standing in front of them. Damien already has his camera out and ready to go before their even ready.

  
"Both of you first."

  
As instructed, the pair stand beside each other, with Thomas practically latching onto Blaine's leg and Blaine's arm wrapped around his brother's shoulders. Both of them are smiling brightly, with their usual charisma.

  
Marcus and Damien both laugh at the couple of funny faced ones, but are soon wanting pictures of just Thomas next.

  
Thomas was an excitable and very photogenic boy, so he had no problem posing for his dads and looking as adorable as possible. A couple of poses were totally ridiculous, but it made the other three laugh.

  
"Alright, alright. Blaine, your turn," Damien instructs, as Thomas climbs off the steps, and stands beside Marcus.

  
Blaine happily gets back onto the steps, posing for a few more. By the time the second one if done, Kurt is pulling into the driveway. The tenor's smile brightens when he sees Kurt get out, a large and excited grin on his face.

  
He looked perfect. He was wearing a pair of very tight black skinny jeans, leaving little to the imagination, a white, long sleeve button up, with a black vest over top, matching his dark grey and white ascot, which was half tucked into his vest.

  
"Hey," Blaine greets.

  
"Hi," Kurt smiles. "You look as dapper as ever," He shrugs, causing Blaine to blush a light pink.

  
"Kurt, get in there. We want a couple pictures of you two," Marcus says, pushing a hand on his back to push him onto the porch.

  
"Are you sure?" Kurt asks, his smile falling.

  
"Yes! Now come here!" Blaine teases, reaching over to tug on his hand and pull him up the steps. They quickly fall into their normal pose of Blaine arm curled around Kurt's waist, causing the boy's chest to be almost flush with Blaine's side. Kurt wraps an arm around Blaine's shoulders, their hands meeting between them to hold.

  
"Perfect," Damien grins, taking a few more pictures of the couple, giving a couple where they were kissing and few more where they were just laughing at each other.

  
"You guys are gonna be late! You have a drive," Marcus says, unable to wipe the large grin from his face. Kurt and Blaine both share a look, before Blaine is scooping his messenger back up from the porch and lacing his fingers with Kurt's.

  
"Okay, I'll see you guys after Glee club then," Blaine says, accepting the hugs from both his parents and Thomas. Kurt tugs on his hand to get their goodbyes to go a little faster, because they were going to be late, and eventually, they get into Kurt's car, pulling out from the driveway.

  
The drive over is anything but quiet. As soon as Kurt is driving, Blaine is playing with the radio, finding a good song to sing to. It doesn't take long for him to find a happy P!nk song to jam out to on the way there.

  
As soon as Kurt pulls into the parking lot though and finds a place beside Puck's motorcycle, Blaine goes quiet. He wasn't kidding when he said he was nervous to Marcus. He really was scared.

  
"You beat cancer. I think you can handle a few neanderthals and some high schoolers," Kurt says, noting his worry and squeezing his knee tightly. Blaine smirks a little at the reminder, before nodding his head. "Since I won't be able to do this all day..." Kurt trails off, leaning across the center console to cup his boyfriend's cheeks and kiss his lips.

  
"I love you," Blaine reminds him, relaxing under Kurt's palms.

  
"I love you more," Kurt winks, to which Blaine shakes his head, still smirking. "Now, come on. Let's go show some idiots how amazing you are," He whispers, to which Blaine nods. Kurt presses one more kiss to his lips, before pulling back and grabbing his bag from the backseat. Kurt's new car did not have the space his Navigator did, but that was probably at a junk yard by now, totally ruined. He would have to deal with this.

  
Blaine grabs his own bag, and follows Kurt out of the car, joining him at the head. He has the urge to take his hand, but he didn't feel like getting beat up on his first day back, so he doesn't. Instead, they just share a knowing smile and walk through the front doors.

  
He expects his nightmares to be true, and everyone was going to come up to him, telling him how sorry they were and they would be terribly nice, but they weren't. They just stared. It took a few steps down the hall for people to realize who had walked through the door, and Blaine can't blame them. He definitely did not look like he used to. He's been through hell and back. That changes people.

  
When they do recognize who it is, people start whispering to each other. A few people stop what they're doing to look at him, as if he had come back from the dead.

  
"Jesus," Blaine whispers. The cheerleaders stare him down, but not with shock, but that disgusting, fake sympathy that made him want to vomit all over their bright red Cheerio! uniforms. He didn't even know half of them.

  
Quickly, being worried about being beat up after school left his mind and he's latching onto Kurt's hand. Kurt snaps his head down to their conjoined hands, his eyes going wide, looking back up at Blaine, who hadn't even noticed. Kurt just squeezes his hand tightly and keeps his free hand on the strap of his bag, squeezing tightly.

  
"Back from the dead, Anderson?" At the sound of Azimio Adam's voice, Blaine rolls his eyes.

  
"Hardly," Blaine grumbles, letting out a dark sigh.

  
"So, what happened? Did you get AIDS?"

  
"Do you have no boundaries?" Kurt snaps, shaking his head with disbelief.

  
"Calm down, Lady Boy," Azimio rolls his eyes. Kurt opens his mouth to say something, but Blaine is tugging on his hand.

  
"Let's go before we're late. Let's not get into a fight on the first day," Blaine warns, causing Kurt to huff out a breath, but follows his boyfriend down the hallway and to their new lockers, ignoring everyone else who was staring at Blaine as if he had grown a second head.

  
"Blaine!" The couple turns their heads to see a very excitable Finn bounding towards them.

  
"Hey," Blaine chuckles, even though he just saw Finn two days ago when he was at the Hummel's for lunch.

  
"Woah! He's back!" Blaine chuckles as he sees Puck come up from behind his best friend, a large smirk on his face.

  
"Hey, Puck," Blaine smiles, as Puck reaches for a handshake.

  
"Blaine, we're gonna be late," Kurt huffs, coming back over to his boyfriend, who now had his binder in hand, ready for first period.

  
"Right, sorry," Blaine says sheepishly, opening up his locker and unloading his stuff, happily grabbing his things that he needed for his first class. Puck and Finn go on about the first football game that Friday night, while Kurt leaned on the lockers beside Blaine's and watched him with a small smile.

  
"I'm so happy you're here," Kurt grins, hugging his binder close to his chest. Blaine ducks his head to hide his blush.

  
"Me too," He nods, a large smile on his face. Kurt makes a noise of agreement before Blaine shut his locker and the pair walked off to their first class of their senior year, that luckily, they had together.

Sadly, the couple don't see each other again lunch, having to stick with small smiles as they passed each other in the hallway or a few quick text messages to each other in class.

  
Kurt was sitting at their usual lunch table with their glee club friends, but Blaine was nowhere in sight. He kept looking around the cafeteria, waiting to see him come through the door, but he didn't. He tried texting him, but never got a reply.

  
"Have you guys seen Blaine?" Kurt asks, looking over to Tina, Mike, and Sam, who were his best friends. All three of them shake their heads.

  
"No, I only seen him during second period," Sam says, to which Mike nods.

  
"Yeah, I haven't either," the dancer adds.

  
"I saw him right before lunch. He was on his way here," Tina shrugs. That's all it takes for Kurt to shoot up in his chair, hurrying out from the cafeteria. His stomach sinks. Something was wrong. His heart was aching. Something was wrong. Something happened. He passed by Blaine's locker, happy to see he wasn't passed out or bleeding there. He checked the choir room, but it was empty. He checked the auditorium, but it was locked.

  
"The bathroom," Kurt breathes. Why didn't he think of that first? He hurries his steps, worried that he was throwing up or was cleaning up bruises at the sink.

  
When he walked into the boy's bathroom, he let out a sob of relief to see Blaine standing at the counter, bent over a sink.

  
"Blaine," Kurt says out of relief. Blaine turns his head, which was under the faucet, getting a bunch of red dye from it. "Oh, Baby," He pouts, dropping his bag and unbuttoning the cuffs of his sleeves to help get the dye from the back of his head.

  
"Sorry. I know I should have texted you, but I was a bit busy getting slushie from my eyes," He rolls his eyes.

  
"On the first day? Already?" Kurt pouts, happy that Blaine's hair was so short now, because it made getting the dye out easier.

  
"Yeah. I guess Azimio wasn't thrilled with us this morning," Blaine grumbles, squinting his eyes shut as Kurt got the front of his forehead. Kurt sighs heavily.

  
"I think you're good. You already got most of it out," He says, allowing Blaine to stand back up. Blaine grabs a towel from the side of the sink and uses it to dry his hair.

  
"Towel?" Kurt questions.

  
"Mr. Schue," Blaine responds, drying his dark hair thoroughly.

  
"Hey, at least you don't have to reapply your gel," Kurt shrugs with a small smile. Blaine chuckles.

  
"Yeah, I figured I should appreciate my curls, because I hated living without them so much more," He teases. "Do you-?"

  
"Yeah, in my locker. I only have a few things though," He says, looking at the stained bow tie sitting on the counter. Blaine nods.

  
"It's better than wearing this," He says, referring to the plaid button-up, that was now stained a dark red.

  
"I'll get them out for you," Kurt sighs, taking the bow tie in his hand. This was one of Blaine's favorites.

 

"Thank you," Blaine smiles, leaning over to press a soft kiss to his boyfriend's lips. Kurt grins, nodding his head.

  
"Yeah, I'll go get those extra clothes."

  
With that, Kurt leaves Blaine alone, allowing Blaine to dry his hair a bit more and unbutton his shirt. That was also one of his favorites. He ditches the suspenders, setting them with his bow tie on the counter.

  
"Getting naked in the bathroom?" Kurt teases when he comes back, seeing that Blaine was sliding his shirt from his shoulders. Blaine chuckles.

  
"Yeah, because there's nothing hotter than the disgusting school's bathroom," He jokes, making Kurt laugh, handing him a thin, navy sweater, with a white seashell design covering.

  
"Thank you," Blaine says, replacing his own button-up with Kurt's sweater.

  
"I was hoping we wouldn't get slushied until at least Thursday, but that didn't happen," Kurt sighs heavily, to which Blaine chuckles.

  
"Yeah," He mumbles back, adjusting his hair as best he could in the mirror, so it didn't look totally crazy, while Kurt put Blaine's soiled clothes into a paper bag he had also brought from his locker.

  
"What a good way to start my senior year," Blaine groans, rolling his eyes as his laced his fingers with Kurt's and started for the door.

  
"It'll get better. It can't be worse than last year," He shrugs, hearing the bell go off for next period. They missed lunch, but Kurt didn't mind. As long as Blaine was safe, he was okay.

Besides the slushie incident, the rest of the day goes by rather smooth. There are no more bullying incidents and Blaine is rather comfortable in his borrowed sweater. By the time Glee rolls around, he has a bright smile on his face again, his heart fluttering with excitement as they approached the choir room for the first time that school year.

  
"Hey! He's back!" Santana cheers once Blaine and Kurt walk through the choir room door. Blaine chuckles as everyone turns to look at the couple, soon cheering and patting his back as he walked in.

  
"Yeah," Blaine laughs, removing his bag and moving towards the second level of the risers.

  
"Great! We can start working on our duet for sectionals!" Rachel cheers, clapping her hands together with excitement. Kurt rolls his eyes at the Jewish girl, taking his usual seat.

  
"Not until Blaine and I get to do one," Kurt says, raising his eyebrows at the girl. Blaine smiles at his boyfriend, reaching over to squeeze his hand tightly. Rachel huffs and goes to respond, but soon Mr. Schue was coming in, clapping his hands together.

  
"Alright! Welcome back!" He says, motioning for Rachel to take a seat. Of course, she obeys, her arms crossed over her chest as she sits beside Finn, who rests an arm around her chair.

  
"As you've realized, Blaine is back!" He cheers, clapping his hands for the boy. Everyone quickly follows suit and is clapping for the boy and some of the guys even cheer for him. Kurt claps and looks at him with a sense of pride, sending a blush to Blaine's cheeks.

  
"Well, we have a lot to do this year. For some of you, this is your last time to get to Nationals, and we want to win again. There's a lot of work to be put in, but I know we can do it," Mr. Schue nods, to which everyone cheers again, clapping his hands together.

  
"Mr. Schue," Rachel shoots her hand in the air, but continues speaking anyway. "If I may?" Mr. Schue nods slowly, knowing there was no way to get her to stop talking. "I say we start with a simple group number," Rachel suggests, a bright smile on her face as she stands up. "You know, to get back into the swing of things," she smiles.   
"Okay, I agree with that. That's what these are for." Mr. Schue turns to the piano, sliding a stack of music sheets from the top and starting to pass them out to his students. Rachel smiles, sitting back down in her seat and looking over her part.

  
"Let's move this to the auditorium, shall we?" He suggests, to which everyone nods, grabbing their things and rushes out from the room, all giddy over the music choice.

They get to the auditorium and all take seats on the stage floor. Brad, of course, followed them and starts on the piano, while the band got their equipment ready. The song would be a breeze. They mostly knew the song from the radio anyway, so it's not like it would take a lot of work.

  
Of course, like always, Rachel starts them out.

  
_"Fresh cut grass, one cold beer_   
_Thank the Lord I am here and now, here and now_   
_Summer dress, favorite park_   
_Bless your soul, we are here and now, here and now{_

  
Half way through, Santana and Quinn join in with her, slightly swaying to the music. By the time the next verse comes through, with Artie, Tina, and Mercedes creating a beautiful harmony, everyone is up, dancing with each other and singing the words.

  
_"We're sleeping out, I believe we'll be okay_   
_Sun kissed skin on my lips_   
_Thank the Lord I am here and now, here and now_   
_Fireflies after dark_   
_Bless your soul, we are here and now, here and now"_

  
Blaine, Kurt, Finn, and Puck pick up this piece, but Blaine's head starts to swim. He ignores it and blame it on the fact that he just got up too fast, which really, he did.

  
_I'm wide awake, so what's the point of dreaming when your life is great?_   
_Celebrate the feeling, celebrate the feeling_   
_Oh! Can't complain about much these days, I believe we'll be okay_   
_Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh_

  
By now, almost everyone is singing, including Mr. Schue, and just enjoying the time they had together. Blaine and Kurt take each other's hand and they're swinging their arms, and Blaine is twirling Kurt, going under each other's arms, laughing and singing the entire time.

  
_Can't complain about much these days, I believe we'll be okay_   
_Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh_   
_We're sleeping out, I believe we'll be okay_

  
By now, Blaine stopped, realizing he didn't just get up too fast. His head was getting worse. It was practically throbbing now. Kurt stops laughing, noting the way Blaine put a hand to his head, blinking a few times. He stumbles back a little bit.

_We'll be okay_   
_We'll be okay_

  
"Blaine!" Kurt shouts, causing everyone to stop singing. Kurt makes a grab for his boyfriend, but Blaine was already falling on the stage, passing out cold. "Blaine," He tries again, falling to the floor beside him, setting his head in his lap.

  
The music stopped abruptly, everyone turning to look at what happened.

  
"No, no, no, no," Kurt's head automatically thought the worst. It had to be cancer, right? What else could it be? People don't just pass out like that.

  
"Someone go get a nurse!" Mr. Schue says, panic in his eyes as he kneels beside his student. It only takes a few seconds for Brittany to run out from the auditorium, making a beeline out the doors.

  
"Blaine, please, Baby, wake up," Kurt was crying unashamedly. What if the cancer was back? What if it hit his brain? Oh God, the possibilities were endless. "Finn, call Damien!" Finn nods, going to follow his brother's instructions, but a small voice stopped him.

  
"No, please don't." It was Blaine, grumbling from his spot in Kurt's arms. "I'm fine," he adds, bringing a hand to his forehead and squinting his eyes.

  
"Blaine, you just passed out. Don't tell me your fine," Kurt argues, petting his forehead gently. "What if this is the cancer spreading? Damien needs to be here. What if-"

  
"Kurt, please, calm down. I'm fine," Blaine says, his eyes still shut and his face scrunched up. "It's not the cancer."

  
"How do you know that?" Kurt worries. Blaine realizes the pain in his voice and looks up to see him crying.

  
"Oh, honey. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you, but I skipped lunch. I only had a pancake for breakfast. I'm supposed to eat every few hours. It's been almost nine. I haven't had any water either. I should have told someone. I'm sorry," Blaine says, slowly sitting up in Kurt's lap. Kurt sniffles.

  
"Are you sure?" He sniffles.

  
"Yeah. I'm so sorry. I don't think dancing like that was a good idea either. My head has been swimming since I got out of seventh period. I should have eaten something. I'm so sorry," Blaine apologizes, rubbing at the back of his head. Everyone visibly deflates, relaxing slowly. Kurt shoves Blaine in his chest, causing Blaine to shrink back slightly.

  
"I hate you," Kurt sniffles. He didn't mean it, Blaine knew that. Blaine smiles gently, squeezing his hand tightly.

  
"I'm so sorry," He repeats, shaking his head. Kurt shakes his head too, rolling his eyes slightly, before getting to his feet and heading for his bag. Blaine goes to get up too, but Kurt snaps his head back towards.

  
"No. Sit your ass back down before you fall over again," He warns, his eyebrows raised. Blaine slowly gets comfortable on the floor again, nodding his head.

  
"Okay, okay, sitting down," he says with a gentle smile.

  
"Come on, let's get you leaned up against a wall," Mr. Schue says, helping Blaine to scoot back against the stage wall. Kurt comes back with a bottle of water, a granola bar, and an apple.

  
"Drink, slowly. You need to eat too. Eat the granola bar first. It has more protein. If you can eat half the apple too, I'll be happy, just don't fill up on water," Kurt instructs, kneeling in front of his boyfriend.

  
"Thank you," Blaine sighs, taking the three things with care. He takes a sip of water, before opening the granola bar up.

  
"Don't ever do that again, okay?" Kurt warns, cupping his cheeks in his palm, still sniffling back his tears.

  
"I'm-"

  
"I know. Just, don't do it again, or I will call Damien, or Marcus, and you'll probably get your ass ringed, alright?"

  
"Yeah, Mom," Blaine teases. Kurt smiles a little at that, pressing a kiss to his forehead and shaking his head, while Blaine ate his granola bar.

  
"Jesus, you scared the hell out of us," Sam says, shaking his head with disbelief.

  
"Sorry about that," Blaine says sheepishly, chewing slowly, like he was taught. Kurt practically glares at him, but Sam shrugs.

  
"You act so casual about it," Tina says from beside Mercedes, her arms crossed over her chest.

  
"This is not the first time I've passed out," Blaine says dryly. "There was that time at Thanksgiving from undernourishment, I passed out when I almost got that infection, I passed out in support group from dehydration, I almost passed out in the shower just from being too weak to stand, and I also passed out from internal bleeding," Blaine says slowly. Most people's eyes go wide with shock. A lot of them didn't truly understand what he's been through because they never came to see him. So, it didn't surprise him to see their wide eyes.

  
"Wow," Artie says, looking down at his lap. Blaine shrugs.

  
"It doesn't matter now. It's over with," He shakes his head, pealing back a little bit more paper to reveal more granola.

  
"I didn't realize it was that bad," Mercedes admits, her voice tiny for once in her life.

  
"Yeah," Blaine can't help but scoff, nodding his head. "You have no idea," He sighs heavily, to which Kurt cringes slightly, but reaches over taking his free hand and squeezes tightly.

  
"I am telling Damien about this though," He says worriedly. Blaine sighs heavily, hanging his head.

  
"I figured you would," He nods slowly, taking another sip from Kurt's water bottle.

  
"Who's Damien?" Mike asks, scrunching his brows together.

  
"My dad-" Blaine stops, looking around the room. No one caught it except Kurt, who just smiled brightly. "He's one of the people I'm staying with," He corrects.

  
Yes, he considered Damien and Marcus his parents, but for some reason, it just felt weird to say it out loud still. There were a few slip ups here and there, but he never said it on purpose. He doesn't know why. He just hasn't.

  
"He was Blaine's nurse. Marcus is his husband and that's Blaine's therapist," Kurt explains with a large grin. Blaine nods along with his words, confirming the information. Everyone nods slowly.

  
"Happy to know you have someone," Mr. Schuester says, patting the boy on the shoulder. Blaine nods, looking down at his lap sheepishly.

  
"Me too."

 

-0-

 

It's been a long day. He had his first day of school in the morning, got slushied, passed out at Glee, and had a quick coffee date with Kurt, then came home to have dinner with the Hummels and his parents. Yeah, it was eventful, but it warmed Blaine' heart because it wasn't his normal busy. His normal busy for the past year has been, chemo, support group, therapy, radiation, visits, then doctor visits. It was nice to have a normal day without a hospital.

  
As he walked up to his room slugishly, intent on starting a paper, that his English teacher had already assigned, he couldn't help but feel the warmth grow in his chest. He shuts the door behind him and smiles across the room.

  
It didn't take long for him to feel comfortable here and make things in his room just the way he wanted. The bedspread that Marcus and Damien gave him was still the same, because it was quite warm. He hung up a few posters, like his Billy Joel, Wicked, and Katy Perry ones, and put up his cork-board from his old room. The cork-board was filled with pictures. Some old, like from Regional's last year, and his Dalton days, but some were new. For example, a few of the ones they took the day he left the hospital were up, and a few of the support group were up too. He even hung up his tumor pictures as a reminder to stay strong through this all.

  
The flag that Damien gave him back at the hospital now hung between the windows on either sides of his bed with push-pins, and a few other memory things were setting on his dresser and nightstands. Including trophies from past Glee things, framed pictures, medals, and things like that.

  
It wasn't much, but it was home.

  
Blaine smiles to himself, humming softly under his breath as looked around his room, just content with looking.

  
_Home,_   
_I've heard the word before,_   
_but it's never meant much more_   
_than just a thing I've never had._

  
Before he realizes he's doing it, he's singing. His voice it still soft, barely audible, but Blaine can hear it.

  
_A "place,"_   
_They say, "Hey, know your place!"_   
_But I've never had a place to even know,_   
_or a face that I could go to_   
_if I needed someone there..._

  
Yes, the Hummel's house was home for awhile, but it wasn't his. He couldn't come back to it or live there. That was Kurt's home and this was his.

  
_I'm laughing_   
_it's hard to hide a smile_   
_My god, it's been a while_   
_since I have had a reason to._

  
Even after he moves to New York with Kurt, and grows up, this house will be home. These people will be home. Damien, Marcus, and Thomas will be his family. Always. When he comes back for holidays and vacations, they'll go to the Hummels and here, because this was his family.

  
_To think_   
_it's been here all along_   
_somewhere to belong,_   
_and a reason,_   
_a something-to-believe-in_

  
Cooper is also his family. That's his brother. He'll always love him no matter what. Thomas in no way replaces him. No one will ever be able to replace Cooper. These three are just an addition. They love Cooper just as much as Blaine too because they were also their family.

 

_I've finally found it,_   
_a place where I'm wanted..._   
_This must be how it feels to have a home_

  
Blaine runs his fingertips across his dresser, smiling at the framed pictures of himself and his friends as he continued to sing softly to himself.

  
_It's finally here and I don't know what to do_   
_and I'm trying not to cry_   
_This must be how it feels_   
_to have a home_

  
He loves it here. He loves it so much. He looks forward to getting up in the morning, and, for once, coming home from school. He's wanted here. Damien and Marcus love him just as much as he loves them. He never thought he could have that.

  
_I've finally made it_   
_I've hoped and I've waited_   
_and for the first time in my life,_   
_I don't feel so alone_

  
Yes, there was also Burt and Carole, but those were his boyfriend's parents. They will always be role-models and parents, but they weren't Mom and Dad. Damien and Marcus were his dads.

  
_My heart starts to heal_   
_to know this is real._   
_This is how it must feel_   
_to have a home!_

  
He finishes with tears in his eyes, his eyes stuck on a large group picture taken at Easter with everyone. Cooper, Thomas, Damien, Marcus, Burt, Carole, Finn, and Kurt. That was his family and they always will be. No matter what happens. They were home.

  
"You okay?" Blaine snaps his head towards the door to see Damien standing there with his hands stuffed into his hoodie pockets. Blaine wipes at his cheeks, a large smile on his face.

  
"I'm perfect," Blaine nods, sniffling back his tears. Damien nods slowly, his lips starting to curl into a smile.

  
"Good, well, Marcus and I want to talk to you downstairs," He says, nodding towards the doorway. Blaine's smile fades slightly, but eventually nods. "Hey, calm down. You're not in trouble," He chuckles, to which Blaine nods his head and follows him down the stairs.

  
Damien leads him down the stairs and into the dining room, where Marcus already was, busy on his phone. His glasses were tipped down and he was typing furiously at something. Sitting on the table in front of him, was a large manila envelope. Blaine furrows his brow, taking the seat across from the couple. Marcus sets his phone aside and looks at Blaine with a large smile. His smile fades when he sees the fear in his son's eyes.

  
"Hey, what's wrong?" He asks, his brows furrowing with concern.

  
"You aren't kicking me out, right?" Blaine blurts, swallowing thickly.

  
"No!" They both shout at the same time, making the boy's shoulders relax. He nods his head slowly, looking down at his lap, where his hands were.

  
"Take a deep breath. This isn't a bad thing," Marcus says, ducking his head to try and meet his eyes. It didn't work, but Blaine nodded.

  
What were they going to say? Was it cancer stuff? Was it about him living here? Marcus said it wasn't a bad thing, so maybe it wasn't. Or maybe he was just saying that. Oh God. Why did he always have to go the bad things?

  
"Blaine, breathe," Damien says, reaching across the table to touch his shoulder. Blaine nods his head, sucking in a deep breath.

  
"Alright, we didn't mean to do this behind your back first off," Damien starts, pulling back from the boy. Blaine snaps his head up.

  
"What?" He scrunches his brows together. What did they do?

  
"If you don't want this, we'll throw the papers away and pretend it never happened, okay?" Marcus says, to which Blaine nods slowly, still very confused.

  
"Okay," Damien smiles brightly. "Did you want to tell him?" He asks, looking to his husband for confirmation. Marcus smiles and nods, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

  
"We met you almost a year ago. The setting was bad, the reasoning was bad, but we're really happy that we did meet you," He starts. Blaine just sits there, nodding his head slowly, allowing him to continue. "You were in a bad spot with your family, if you could even call them that, and we were drawn to you. Cooper was amazing, but your parents, not so much. We saw you and we wanted to help you at any costs. You quickly became a part of our family. Thomas loved you almost as much as we loved you."

  
"Okay," Blaine swallows, looking between the two's excited faces, still very confused.

  
"We offered our home, and you agreed, and we took care of you as best as we could while you were in the hospital. Same with Kurt. Anyway, a few weeks ago, while you were in New York, we went down to the courthouse." Marcus grins at the boy, but he still looked confused as to what was happening.

  
"Well, we picked up some papers," Marcus continues, sliding the manila envelope towards the singer. Blaine slowly takes it and unclasps it, pulling out a stack of papers. His heart stops at the title. At the top of the page, in big, bold letters it read:

  
**"LEGAL ADOPTION PAPERS"**

  
"Oh my God," He swallows thickly, looking at the names filled out. "Blaine Devon Anderson", "Marcus Jacob Mason-Lee" "Damien David Mason-Lee".

  
"Is this something you want?" Damien asks.

  
"Yes, yes. Oh my God, yes!" He exclaims happily, tears in his eyes. He shoots up from his chair, tossing the papers onto the table. Marcus gets up as well and wraps in for a tight hug, swaying from side to side.

  
"Thank you so much. Thank you. Oh my God," Blaine sobs into his shoulder, holding him tightly. Marcus laughs lightly, rubbing his back through his sweater.

  
"You're welcome. You're so very welcome," Marcus replies, holding him close. Blaine lets go briefly, but only to attack Damien with a hug too.

  
"I'm so happy right now," He cries into his dad's hoodie. Damien laughs.

  
"So are we. Our family is complete with you, Blaine," He chuckles, to which Blaine cries harder, hiding his face into his shoulder.

  
"Thank you," He chokes, shaking his head slightly with disbelief. Damien smiles, shaking his head as well.

  
"Don't ever thank us for something like this. We'll happily do it again," he repeats. Blaine eventually pulls back, wiping at his eyes furiously.

  
"How did you do this? I'm eighteen," he says, a large grin on his face as he talks.

  
"Well, we can still adopt you. You just have to sign a few papers, then we'll turn them in and go to family court in a few weeks. Then, you'll officially be our son," Marcus explains.

  
"Give me a pen! I'll sign anything!" Blaine laughs, causing his parents to do the same. Damien grabs a pen from the table and hands it to the boy. Blaine grins as Marcus points out the places he needed to sign and Blaine happily signed them all with shaking fingers.

  
This was his family. This is where he belonged. It was officially happening. It would no longer be just words. He wouldn't have to see "Pam Anderson" and "James Anderson" on his official papers anymore. No, never again. It would be Damien and Marcus's names. It would be Thomas AND Cooper as his brothers. It was all happening for him. Soon, he would officially be part of a real family.

  
He would legally have two dads who loved and cherished him. Who cared about him no matter what. Two people who would consider him their son. Two people to go to parent-teacher conferences, and competitions, and games, and everything else that came with being a parent.

  
"This can't be real," He breathes, shaking his head as he signs on the line in dark blue ink.

  
"It's real, Blaine."

  
This was what everyone talked about in movies, books, and TV shows. This was everything he's ever wanted. He has a boyfriend who loves him more than anything, he has a sibling to look up to and another sibling to look up to him, he has two dads who cherish him, he has new and old friends mixing together. He has a family. He has everything he's ever wanted.

  
This was his happy ending.

  
And to think, it all started with a _stomach ache._


	33. One-Shots

Just a quick update, guys! The one-shots are up on my profile! They're in my works, so you can read them at your leisure! Well, the one that it up so far. I can't promise how many of them there will be or how often they will be, but as long as you enjoy reading them, I will keep writing them! So, if you have a request, leave it in the comments over there and let me know what you think of them! 

The first one has been up for a little while, but I realized if I don't post an update on this, you probably won't see them, so I figured I would tell you on here too, just in case! Now, this story is officially closed, so feel free to comment again wherever, but there will be no more updates of check ins on here. They will be over on my one-shot collection. A few more separate stories will probably be added to the verse, but those will be in a different work. 

Someone requested that I do a one-shot on Marcus and Damien's short little recovery story, but that will probably be a different work, to make sure I do that justice and I can't promise how long that will take, so enjoy the one-shots that I will update over in that work and let me know what you think! Enjoy those and this is always he to reread! Haha! 

Alright, I will see you over on the other work, enjoy those and tell me what you think of them!

Thank you for sticking with my on this journey and enjoy! I love you guys!! See you on the other side!!

**Author's Note:**

> Like I said, if you guys want more, please, please tell me because I really wanna know. I've been wanting to do this for awhile and I've always been too scared because I didn't wanna get too much wrong and wanted it to be realistic. Please tell me if you like this in the comments because I don't know if I should continue if you guys don't like it or want it. Let me know!


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